The following message is from Superintendent Kaweeda G. Adams:
Dear Stephen and Harriet Myers Middle School families:
In accordance with state law, every five years all public school districts are required to test all water outlets currently or potentially used for drinking or cooking purposes for lead levels. To that end, I am writing to inform you about the results of required lead testing at Stephen and Harriet Myers Middle School.
The City School District of Albany is in the process of testing water outlets at all 20 buildings – about 1,500 total samples – with the assistance of a state-approved laboratory. A water outlet is any water source that someone could possibly draw water to drink. This includes bathroom sinks, locker room showers, janitorial sinks and kitchen sinks.
At Myers, 21 of 146 outlets tested had results above the state’s limit of 15 parts per billion (ppb). Here are the outlets at Myers that had results above that limit:
- Boys’ locker room, Shower A (376 ppb)
- Boys’ locker room, Shower B (228 ppb)
- Boys’ locker room, Shower D (34.7 ppb)
- Boys’ locker room, Shower F (229 ppb)
- Boys’ locker room, Shower G (31.4 ppb)
- Girls’ locker room, Shower A (98.5 ppb)
- Girls’ locker room, Shower B (148 ppb)
- Girls’ locker room, Shower C (109 ppb)
- Girls’ locker room, Shower D (94.4 ppb)
- Girls’ locker room, Shower E (65.2 ppb)
- Girls’ locker room, Shower F (19.7 ppb)
- Girls’ locker room, Shower G (76.5 ppb)
- Room 233, Sink (36.5 ppb)
- Room 238, Sink B (17.3 ppb)
- Room 201, Sink F (44.1 ppb)
- Third-floor girls’ bathroom, Sink B (36 ppb)
- Third-floor girls’ bathroom, Sink C (28.7 ppb)
- Room 328, Sink F (28.9 ppb)
- Outside drinking fountain (25.8 ppb)
- Outside boys’ bathroom, Sink (39.8 ppb)
- Outside girls’ bathroom, Sink (15.2 ppb)
The other 125 water outlets tested at Myers had no positive results, including all drinking fountains inside the building, and have been cleared.
In accordance with state law, the district has taken immediate action in those locations where the lead level from a water outlet exceeded the state’s level of 15 ppb. At Myers, the district has put the following action plan in place, which conforms to state regulations:
- Notify the Albany County Department of Health
- Submit all test results to the New York State Department of Health
- The one outside drinking fountain that tested above the state’s allowable level has been taken off line. All other outlets that tested above the allowable level have been marked with signage indicating that the water is not drinkable
- All outlets with positive tests have been flushed and retested. We are awaiting results of those follow-up tests. The district will clear a water outlet for use again only after receiving a report from a state-approved laboratory that the outlet in question is now below the legal limit.
- When all water outlets are cleared, the district will notify all faculty, staff and families.
The health and safety of all students, faculty and staff in the City School District of Albany is a top priority for us. If you would like more information about the testing at your building, please contact Capital Region BOCES Health and Safety Specialist Sherrie Strain at sherrie.strain@neric.org.
