Elevated lead levels found in Mahomet-Seymour Schools

Dani TietzFebruary 2, 2018

0 4 minutes read

Lead levels higher than 5 parts-per-billion (ppb) were found in required lead testing at Lincoln Trail Elementary and Mahomet-Seymour High School.

Per Illinois Public Act 99-922, the Mahomet-Seymour School District has tested the lead levels in the water from every outlet that could be used for drinking or food preparation at Sangamon and Lincoln Trail Elementary schools by Ideal Environmental Engineering (IDEAL) on Nov. 22, 2017.

The Act states that all buildings that house students in grades Pre-K through 5 and were built before Jan. 1, 1987 must complete water testing by the end of 2017. Schools built between January 2, 1987 and January 1, 2000 must complete testing by the end of 2018.

While the law only requires lead testing of water in Pre-K through 5 buildings, the Mahomet-Seymour School District tested water in all buildings except Middletown Prairie Elementary, which opened in 2014.

After sampling reports are submitted to the Illinois Department of Public Health, school districts are also required to provide the results to parents and legal guardians of enrolled students.

Sample results from Sangamon and Lincoln Trail Elementary, Mahomet-Seymour Junior High and Mahomet-Seymour High School can be found at https://goo.gl/qrh3TX.

School districts are also required to notify parents or guardians individually in writing or electronically if lead is found at levels above 5 parts per billion (ppb) within any samples.

Samples taken from the mentor room at Lincoln Trail Elementary showed 13.5 ppb of lead and samples taken from the sink outside of the CAIR Center Office showed 28.2 ppb of lead.

Parents with children in each school were notified via email Thursday.

MSHS Principal Shannon Cheek and Lincoln Trail Elementary Principal Jeff Starwalt wrote, “The sink where the slightly elevated levels of lead were found were rarely used, and have now been shut off. Further mitigation will take place in the near future with newer plumbing fixtures being installed.”

The Illinois Department of Public Health set a minimum reporting limit of 2 ppb for school districts. Samples taken at Sangamon, Lincoln Trail, MSJHS and MSHS came back with lead levels higher than 2 ppb.

The US EPA standard for mitigation levels for schools is 20 ppb.

In a letter to parents, Superintendent Lindsey Hall told parents to “be assured that we will continue to take all action necessary to protect student health. Mitigation and water management are in progress. Water outlets are being shut off, and we have already begun to take appropriate remedial action for any levels above the laboratory reporting limit.”

Sangamon Elementary

Table 1.3 – Results over 2 ppb

Sample ID	Sample Location Description	Fixture Type	Sample Type	Concentration
S-08b	Outside Room 1 – Left	DF – Drinking Fountain	Flush	2.21 ppb
S-09b	Outside Room 1 – Right	DF – Drinking Fountain	Flush	2.27 ppb
S-13a	Kitchen – Prep Sink – Sprayer	O – Other	First Draw	2.73 ppb

Lincoln Trail Elementary

Table 1.2 – Results over 5 ppb

Sample ID	Sample Location Description	Fixture Type	Sample Type	Concentration
LT-08a	Mentor Room	S – Sink	First Draw	13.5 ppb

Table 1.3 – Results over 2 ppb

Sample ID	Sample Location Description	Fixture Type	Sample Type	Concentration
LT-01b	Kitchen – Prep Sink – Left	KS – Kitchen Sink	Flush	2.12 ppb
LT-02b	Kitchen – Prep Sink – Right	KS – Kitchen Sink	Flush	2.58 ppb
LT-08a	Mentor Room	S – Sink	First Draw	13.5 ppb
LT-08b	Mentor Room	S – Sink	Flush	4.29 ppb
LT-09a	Teachers’ Lounge	S – Sink	First Draw	3.21 ppb
LT-09b	Teachers’ Lounge	S – Sink	Flush	4.30 ppb

Mahomet-Seymour Junior High

Table 1.3 – Results over 2 ppb

Sample ID	Sample Location Description	Fixture Type	Sample Type	Concentration
MJ-03b	Outside Room 111 – Left	DF – Drinking Fountain	Flush	2.07 ppb
MJ-08a	Outside Gym A – Left	DF – Drinking Fountain	First Draw	2.02 ppb
MJ-08b	Outside Gym A – Left	DF – Drinking Fountain	Flush	2.80 ppb
MJ-11a	Outside Gym A – Right	DF – Drinking Fountain	First Draw	2.80 ppb
MJ-11b	Outside Gym A – Right	DF – Drinking Fountain	Flush	3.23 ppb
MJ-12a	Kitchen – Prep – West Wall – Left	KS – Kitchen Sink	First Draw	4.10 ppb
MJ-12b	Kitchen – Prep – West Wall – Left	KS – Kitchen Sink	Flush	4.00 ppb
MJ-13a	Kitchen – Prep – West Wall – Right	KS – Kitchen Sink	First Draw	3.44 ppb
MJ-13b	Kitchen – Prep – West Wall – Right	KS – Kitchen Sink	Flush	3.94 ppb
MJ-14a	Kitchen – Prep – East Wall	KS – Kitchen Sink	First Draw	3.58 ppb
MJ-14b	Kitchen – Prep – East Wall	KS – Kitchen Sink	Flush	3.62 ppb

Mahomet-Seymour High School

Table 1.2 – Results over 5 ppb

Sample ID	Sample Location Description	Fixture Type	Sample Type	Concentration
MH 35a	CAIR Center Office	S – Sink	First Draw	28.2 ppb

Sample ID	Sample Location Description	Fixture Type	Sample Type	Concentration
MH 12a	Ag Room	DF – Drinking Fountain	First Draw	3.93 ppb
MH 16a	Kitchen-Prep	KS – Kitchen Sink	First Draw	2.66 ppb
MH 17a	Kitchen-Serving	KS – Kitchen Sink	First Draw	4.56 ppb
MH 23a	Teacher’s Lounge	S – Sink	First Draw	4.95 ppb
MH 28a	Home Ec. Room B55 – Kitchen – 1	S – Sink	Flush	2.02 ppb
MH 30a	Home Ec. Room B55 – Kitchen – 5	S – Sink	First Draw	2.30 ppb
MH 35a	CAIR Center Office	S – Sink	First Draw	28.2 ppb