Lead found in water at Michigan School for the Deaf in Flint
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Michigan School for the Deaf (MLive.com File Photo)
Roberto Acosta | racosta1@xxxxxxxxx
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Roberto Acosta | racosta1@xxxxxxxxx
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on January 20, 2016 at 8:46 PM, updated January 20, 2016 at 11:46 PM
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FLINT, MI – A building on the campus of the Michigan School for the Deaf has
tested positive for the first time for lead in the water, according to a
letter
issued by the school Wednesday, Jan. 20 to parents and guardians.
"Yesterday (1/19/16), we received the first lead positive water test for the
Stevens Hall dormitory (the school building continues to show no lead
detected),"
reads the letter from Michigan School for the Deaf principal Cecelia Winkler
and administrative manager Mark Bouvy.
The school has been purchasing bottled water since September 2015 and had no
positive tests for lead prior to the recent result, according to the letter.
Winkler said the information in the letter was true when reached by phone
Wednesday evening, but she forwarded all other comment to a spokesman for the
Michigan Department of Education.
A call and email to the Michigan Department of Education spokesman were not
immediately returned Wednesday evening.
It's unclear in the letter what the positive test showed in terms of the amount
of lead found in the water or how frequently tests had taken place prior
to the positive result.
The letter further states "Our research shows that lead is not absorbed thru
the skin but ingested," with the school exploring the option of filtering water
for showers in the dormitory.
Students will have the option for the time being to shower in the school locker
room, which the letter states is "presumed lead-free pending further testing."
All faucets in Stevens Hall will be replaced in the next two weeks, with the
letter stating "A lot of lead in the city water has been deemed to be coming
from the sink faucets installed before the 1990's and copper piping soldered
with lead solder."
Stevens Hall was constructed in 1949, according to a
timeline
of the school's history on its website. The current Michigan School for the
Deaf building
opened
in fall 2012.
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is set to be on campus in two
weeks' time for additional testing of all water coming into the building,
including each classroom and residential unit.
A blood testing site to be set up at the school has also been discussed with
the Genesee County Health Department to test any student for lead contamination,
with letters to be sent home notifying parents when the option is available in
the coming day.
"As Administrators, we believe in transparency and wanted to get this
information to you as quickly as possible," reads the letter. "We believe your
children
are safe and that we have done our best to ensure that."
A parent meeting is scheduled from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9 at the
school, 1235 W. Court St.
Anyone with questions about the situation has been directed to contact Janet
Kelley at 810-257-1402 or kelleyjj@xxxxxxxxxxxx.
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Source:
http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2016/01/lead_found_in_water_at_michiga.html
