Thirty-one lead-free plumbing fixtures have replaced old fixtures in Boothbay Region Elementary School and Boothbay Region High School after two rounds of water testing in both buildings revealed lead levels above legal limits. The fixtures are American National Standards Institute-approved.

Facilities and Transportation Director David Benner provided the information to the Boothbay-Boothbay Harbor Community School District Board of Trustees at their Wednesday, May 3 meeting. He and Alternative Organizational Structure (AOS) 98 Assistant Superintendent Shawn Carlson both gave updates on progress with the situation first discovered March 31.

At that time, the water was turned off at both schools and bottled water and bubblers were brought in for drinking water. Two sets of tests showed slightly higher than normal lead levels in several areas of the schools. Officials decided to replace the schools' fixtures and water fountains to determine if the older fixtures might be the cause.

“We've hired Dirigo Engineering to give us professional advice,” said Carlson. At this point, Dirigo is comfortable that the fixtures may have been the source of the problem, he said. Ten flush test samples — taken after a faucet is allowed to run, then be turned off and allowed to settle — are waiting to be tested in Augusta.

“As soon as we get results, we've made a commitment to being available for parents to come in and ask questions,” said AOS 98 Superintendent Eileen King. She said school officials are working to establish procedures, some of which may include a flushing program that would take place after school vacations have left water sitting in pipes for extended amounts of time. She also mentioned that a number of random water samplings may be done every year.

Carlson told trustees he has heard from state offices and from pediatrician Dr. Steven Feder that some parents have taken children attending Boothbay schools for lead testing. “The tests have all come back negative, which is a good thing,” said Carlson.

King told trustees she wanted to thank Hannaford Supermarket in Boothbay Harbor for donating 78 cases of bottled water to the schools, which will rely on drinking water being trucked in from outside sources for the rest of the school year.