Full Description

In early 2004, Seattle Public Schools(SPS) began a major project to improve the water quality in its schools, primarily inresponse to concerns about lead levels at drinking water fountains, but also because of theaesthetic appearance of the water at many schools, i.e., discolored water. At the start ofthe project, approximately 80 of SPS' schools and facilities were either fully or partiallyplumbed with older galvanized steel piping. Approximately 60 of these schools are morethan 40 years old. Also, many of the service lines supplying water to the schools areolder cast iron pipes. Discolored or "red" water is asignificant problem at many of Seattle's schools, and is a common problem in many olderSeattle-area buildings as well. The aesthetic-related iron / discolored water issue was noteasily understood or distinguished from the health-related lead problems by manystudents, parents, teachers, and the press. Hence, the presence of discolored water calledinto question the overall piping conditions in schools and tended to heighten concernsover the safety of the water sources in the schools. One of the objectives of the SPS' water quality project was to establish appropriatestandards or action levels for contaminants of concern, including iron. Because there areno regulations that apply to drinking water quality within buildings (with theexception of the Lead and Copper Rule as it applies to water purveyors), SPS was facedwith the challenge of establishing a criterion for iron at water sources within its schoolsthat would meet the concerns of the public while at the same time be a measurable andachievable standard. Nine months after initiation of the water quality project, and after considerable discussionand debate, the SPS Board passed a policy for water quality in its schools (the AdoptedProcedure for Drinking Water Quality and Access, or more commonly referred to as the"Water Policy"). This policy includes specific criteria and actions for addressing iron.The intent of the Water Policy as it applies to iron is to ensure there are plentiful suppliesof aesthetically pleasing water throughout each school, but that it is acceptable to havesome drinking water sources in each school that exceed iron standards because studentswho find the water aesthetically unacceptable at a particular source can use other nearbysources with more aesthetically pleasing water. Includes tables.

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Edition: Vol. - No. Published: 11/01/2005 Number of Pages: 7File Size: 1 file , 180 KB