Within this webpage, please find background information about water testing for lead within CCSD93’s schools and changes instituted by CCSD93 as a result of recent water testing results.

As you review the following, please know that all drinking fountains at CCSD93’s schools have met national standards and are considered safe for students and staff members to drink from.

During the summer of 2016, CCSD93 tested for lead content in drinking water throughout the entire district.  

• Though this was not a requirement of any kind at the time, CCSD93 decided that as a proactive step to confirm student and staff safety, the district would engage in testing.
• CCSD93 worked with consultants at Pekron Environmental Health & Safety to test lead content in drinking fountains and kitchen sinks at every CCSD93 building.
• At the time, all of the fixtures tested throughout CCSD93 came back below the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) standard for lead levels in public water systems of 15.0 parts per billion (ppb).
• CCSD93 was informed by Pekron that these results were positive and well within a “normal” range.
• The results of this testing were published in the Daily Herald at the time. You’re invited to see the full school-by-school 2016 results on this website under the CCSD93 Water Testing Results tab by selecting 2016.

On January 16, 2017, Governor Rauner signed into law a requirement that Illinois public schools serving preschool through 5th grade students complete lead testing of water sources used for drinking or food preparation.

• The new law required that schools perform this testing by December 31, 2017.
• It also required that schools must notify parents if lead levels from any source of potable water in any sample exceeds 5.0 ppb, which is a much stricter standard than that of the EPA (15.0 ppb).

During the summer of 2017, CCSD93 again worked with consultants at Pekron to test drinking water throughout the district for student and staff safety and to comply with the new law.

• CCSD93 chose to test all buildings, including our middle schools and District Office, though the law only mandated the testing of preschool and elementary schools.
• The language of the new law indicated that CCSD93 should also test all classroom, lounge, and nurse sinks in addition to the drinking fountains and kitchen sinks that were tested in 2016.
• These fixtures were each tested twice, as prescribed within the guidelines of the law.
• As a result of the 2017 testing:
• 24 of the 230 fixtures were above the new Illinois threshold of 5.0 ppb during the first test. Of these 24 fixtures, 23 were sinks and 1 was a drinking fountain.
• A second test was performed on each of the 230 fixtures after flushing water, as prescribed within the guidelines of the 2017 law. 5 of the 230 fixtures were above the 5.0 ppb threshold during the second test. Of these 5 fixtures, 4 were sinks and 1 was a drinking fountain.
• These results indicate that a simple flushing of water will result in significantly lower lead content in the vast majority of cases within CCSD93.
• You’re invited to see the full school-by-school 2017 results on this website under the CCSD93 Water Testing Results tab by selecting 2017.
• Within the Water Testing Results 2017 documents, note that ND means “none detected,” which indicates levels were below 2.0 ppb.
• The document entitled More Than 5 Parts Per Billion is a document with a summary of just those fixtures throughout the district that came in above 5.0 ppb with their specific lead content measurements.
• The document entitled Sink Signage is a representation of the signage to be posted by CCSD93 classroom sinks.

What actions did CCSD93 take as a result of these findings?

• While changes to water fixtures were not required as a result of these findings, when it comes to student and staff safety, CCSD93 takes extra precautions whenever possible. To this end:
  • Before the start of the 2017-18 school year, CCSD93 removed the drinking fountain that produced a sample above the threshold and replaced it.
• CCSD93 has replaced all faucets that came in above the threshold on either the first or second test.
• As an extra precaution moving forward, CCSD93 has implemented the guideline that students and staff should not drink from classroom sink faucets.  
• Signage was added near all classroom sinks reminding students and staff members not to drink from them. 
• CCSD93 staff members were directed to consistently remind students that classroom sinks are to be used for washing hands and cleaning materials only.
• Pre-bottled water equipment was temporarily added to faculty lounges.
• For more information on lead and drinking water, please visit this website: https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinking-water

Once again, all drinking fountains at CCSD93’s schools have met EPA standards for being considered safe for students and staff members to drink from and are below the Illinois threshold for parent notification.

If you have questions or concerns regarding this matter, please email reply@ccsd93.com or call CCSD93’s Superintendent’s Office at 630-539-3000.