South Butler schools dealing with Legionella, lead in water
As if the global pandemic wasn’t enough to plan for as classes resume, the South Butler County School District is also dealing with Legionella and higher- than- acceptable lead in some of its water.
Superintendent David Foley announced in a Wednesday letter to parents that tests found that five of 27 water fountains showed lead levels above acceptable limits.
Tests also found “an issue” with Legionella bacteria in water tanks at the South Butler Primary School and the South Butler Intermediate Elementary School. Test forms also showed one positive test at Knoch High School.
Mr. Foley said in the letter that no one at any of the schools has reported any related illness and noted that none of the water fountains at the schools are in use anyway because of COVID- 19 restrictions.
He added that mitigation measures for both problems are underway.
The district used a “thermal shock” procedure recommended by its water consultant, Intertek PSI, to heat school water tanks to 165 degrees Fahrenheit or higher — much hotter than the normal 120- degree temperature for the hot water tanks and hot enough to kill the Legionella bacteria.
The tanks were scheduled for heating Wednesday night, after which they were to be drained, refilled and heated to 165 degrees again.
Jenny Webb, the district media spokesperson, said Sunday that water from the tanks was retested Thursday morning.
“It will take seven to 10 days for the lab to do an analysis, and we are awaiting the retest results,” Ms. Webb said.
The Occupational Safety and
Health Administration action level for Legionella is 10 cfu/ ml ( colony forming units per milliliter), a measure of the density of bacterial colony formation. All of the school’s Legionella tests were less than 10 cfu/ ml, but the district wants a totally clean test, Mr. Foley said in the letter.
Until then, hot water will be turned off in the three affected schools. Students will wash their hands with soap and cold water and will be provided with hand sanitizer.
Mr. Foley wrote that the Legionella bacteria likely grew as water sat stagnant during months of extended inactivity after schools closed in the spring because of the COVID- 19 pandemic.
The district has also received a Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency Safety Grant that was used to order 45 new water cooler fountains and bottle- filling stations to replace older fountains throughout the district. Before those are installed, the district plans to flush the school water systems and retest the water for lead.
According to the test results, lead levels at the five water fountains range from 32.4 to 149 ug/ L ( micrograms per liter). The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency’s action level for lead in drinking water is 15 ug/ L.
Ms. Webb said the district is awaiting delivery of the new bottle- filling and drinking fountain equipment.
The school district’s students are attending classes on a hybrid schedule: Elementary students are attending school five days a week; intermediate and high school students are spending two days in schools and three days doing virtual lessons.