Montessori finds waterborne lead entering school

School trustees look for answers from Tisbury officials.

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The trustees of the Vineyard Montessori School want answers from Tisbury officials about why the school’s water shows elevated levels of lead. — Rich Saltzberg

Independent testing commissioned by the Vineyard Montessori School (VMS) has allegedly revealed higher than permissible waterborne lead entering the school building from Tisbury’s water system. The testing also allegedly revealed higher than permissible waterborne lead even after a sink faucet identified by the town as the problem was replaced, and after other faucets were replaced. A VMS trustees letter to Tisbury officials obtained by The Times requests the town begin immediate mitigation efforts in light of the test results. 

“We are asking that the town of Tisbury work with VMS to immediately conduct and support additional mitigation efforts to bring lead-free drinking water to 286 Main St.,” the letter states. “While we wish that the independent test results were an anomaly or were somehow incorrect, the safety and wellness of our students, parents, teachers, and staff is our primary obligation. The evidence shows an unacceptable level of lead in our drinking water. Please conduct the appropriate mitigation without delay.”

Head of School Debbie Jernigan told The Times VMS is using bottled water until the problem is rectified. Jernigan said VMS is using bottled water across the board, and replaced all classroom faucets and a sink. These moves came after a water sample from a school sink revealed higher than acceptable lead levels. According to the trustees’ letter, Tisbury water superintendent Chris Cassidy instructed the school to change the faucet on the sink that produced the above-limit results. This was in a kindergarten classroom. VMS replaced the sink and the faucet, and per the letter replaced all faucets, “and added point-of-use Brita filtration systems at each main classroom sink.” 

The letter alleges the town conducted a single test at the new sink, but has not disclosed the results of that test. 

“There’s no reason for that,” Cassidy told The Times. “If we haven’t shared that, we’ll get it to them.” Cassidy couldn’t recall offhand what those test results were.

VMS conducted three independent tests of its own using Alpha Analytical Laboratories, according to the letter, on two sinks and the water pipe feeding the building.

The results of the two sinks came in at 1.6 parts per billion (ppb) and 4.6 ppb. The water pipe came in at 23.6 ppb.

The “MassDEP recommended laboratory detection level for lead is 0.001 mg/L, or 1 parts per billion (ppb),” a Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) webpage states. 

The letter states that MassDEP recommends the following actions based on lead level detected:

  • For taps/fixtures with lead levels over 15 ppb, MassDEP recommends that the taps/fixtures are taken out of service immediately until the problem is addressed and lead levels are no longer elevated.
  • For taps/fixtures with lead levels between >1-15 ppb, MassDEP recommends taking steps to reduce lead, such as daily flushing, replacing fixtures/taps, or installing point-of-use filters.
  • For taps/fixtures with lead levels 1 ppb or less, MassDEP recommends normal use, with sampling every three years.

In light of those recommendations, the letter states, “All results exceed the safe levels of lead in the drinking water for the 52 students and six teachers that work at the 286 Main St. building.” 

“I think as a school, we have to go above and beyond to make sure the water is safe for our students to use and drink,” Jernigan said. “I think we have been doing that.” However, Jernigan stressed, she didn’t think the Montessori School should be in such a position, and noted they are operating “without any support or communication from the town of Tisbury.”

Cassidy said he isn’t sure what is afoot at the Montessori School. While he said he knew a new water main had been installed for a new building the school erected, he’s unsure if that main feeds the 286 Main St. building in question. He also said the inherent subterranean nature of water lines makes their metallic composition difficult to evaluate in most circumstances, unless they are unearthed. He was unsure how old the line feeding 286 Main St., is and what it’s made of. “You have to go based on what you do or do not have for records,” he said.

Cassidy also said the town routinely treats its water system with sodium hydroxide to offset the acidity of the water, and therefore stymie pipe corrosion that could potentially send heavy metals like lead from old pipes or pipe unions into the water. He said the sodium hydroxide coats the inside of pipes to help arrest corrosion. However, he said, he was unsure that water entering VMS was lead-tainted despite what the trustees’ letter indicates. He said it was possible the pipe itself has a lead-soldered union inside the school somewhere. Additionally, he said, it’s possible lead-soldered unions could account for the lead results from the replaced faucets. 

Cassidy said Tuesday he plans to “immediately respond” to the letter, and that he wants to make it “very clear” he will “help them mitigate this problem.”

As to what MassDEP expects of the Tisbury Water Department, Cassidy said that agency looks at town sampling in aggregate to determine violations based on an average, and schools don’t count. Recent random testing executed by the town found 27 out of 30 samples fell within acceptable lead levels, he said. 

“The action level (AL) for lead is 0.015 milligrams per liter (mg/L), a.k.a. 15 parts per billion (ppb),” a MassDEP webpage states. “The AL is compared to the 90th percentile value of all sampling results collected during each monitoring period. (This means that the sample exceeds the action level if more than 10 out of 100 samples taken exceed 15 ppb.) Exceeding the AL is not a violation, but if the 90th percentile value exceeds the lead AL, the water department must take further action.” 

The Montessori School isn’t alone in the discovery of waterborne lead. At the Tisbury School, above-limit lead was detected in water from a sink during the winter. The school resorted to bottled water after the discovery, and remains on bottled water as of Wednesday, according to Assistant Principal Melissa Ogden. Tisbury School Principal John Custer later told The Times the school will remain on bottled water for the rest of the year.