School lead testing bill moves forward

Recent tests of Valley Stream schools’ drinking water revealed traces of lead in Districts 13 and 24 and in the Valley Stream Central High School District, and were swiftly addressed, according to school officials.

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New York lawmakers are pushing forward a bill in the last days of the legislative session that would require school districts to be more vigilant in testing drinking water for lead content. Recent tests of Valley Stream schools’ drinking water revealed traces of lead in Districts 13 and 24 and in the Valley Stream Central High School District, and were swiftly addressed, according to school officials, who see no problems with the pending legislation.

“I’ve been following the progress of the law,” said Bill Heidenreich, superintendent of the VSCHSD. “It is in line with the testing we have done, [but] I was kind of surprised to learn that this sort of testing isn’t required.”

In New York, public schools are surveyed once every five years. They require some identification of possible hazards — such as lead pipes used to deliver water to school buildings — but the state lacks a comprehensive plan for testing all drinking water at the tap, addressing contaminants and making the results available to the community. The proposed bill would require school districts to test drinking water annually, unless there were a three-year window during which no contamination was found.

Heidenreich said that although it isn’t something the district appropriated funds for next year, because it involves the health and safety of the students, the administration would likely find a way to absorb any costs associated with testing if the bill passes. “Hopefully the law, as crafted, would go beyond the schools,” he said, and added that there are drinking fountains at malls, parks and local beaches.

District 24 Superintendent Ed Fale and District 30 Superintendent Nicholas Stirling agreed with Heidenreich that the passage of the law wouldn’t change the schools’ prioritization of student safety, but admitted that it would be helpful for added funding from either the federal or state levels.

“Anything that ensures the health and safety of students is something that we agree with,” Fale said. “If it is mandated, we would also like to see reimbursement in our state aid for the testing.” Fale said that the testing done in District 24 wasn’t at all disruptive, and was easy for officials to implement — though, he said, the testing does involve an outside agency and is an added expense.

“Taxpayers on Long Island have a long history of paying their fair share,” said Stirling. He noted that District 30’s testing results are still pending.

District 13 Superintendent Constance Evelyn said in a statement: “Moving forward, the district would, of course, comply with any state requirements for future water testing and hope that the state would provide the funding for such testing instead of placing the burden on our local taxpayers.”

The federal government banned most uses of lead-based paint in 1977, and in 1986, it banned lead pipe and solder in plumbing that carried potable water. Additionally, most lead in gasoline was phased out in the 1980s. The Environmental Protection Agency requires that lead content in drinking water not exceed 15 parts per billion, and most lead gets into water sources after it leaves a local well or treatment plant and comes into contact with plumbing materials that contain lead.

“We have a responsibility to protect the safety of the students and staff in every school in New York state,” said Senator Carl Marcellino, chairman of the Senate Education Committee. “No child or school employee should ever be put in jeopardy by tainted water in their school. Testing for lead in drinking water will ensure we jumpstart the process of identifying and eliminating such a serious health crisis.”