District clarifies lead remediation plan

Perry County School District 32 has developed this plan to remediate the contamination by lead of any high-priority potable water source on the district campus, in accordance with RSMo 160.077; Get the Lead Out of School Drinking Water Act 2022-2023.
This law requires that any high-priority water source must not exceed 5 parts per billion (ppb) for lead, determined by independent testing. The district has determined that high-priority potable water sources are those that are used by humans for drinking and cooking and include drinking fountains, water bottle fillers, kitchen and lounge sinks, health office and home economics classroom sinks, and any other source identified as providing drinking or cooking water.
This law is intended to limit the effects of lead exposure which can cause serious health effects. Perry County School District 32 has contracted with St. John Environmental Consulting of St. Louis to conduct independent testing of more than 300 potable water sources within the district’s nine sites that include the primary, elementary, middle, and high schools; career center; central office; maintenance building and its annex; the transportation shed; and wellness center.
In a letter posted on the district website, Perry County School District Superintendent Fara Jones believes the law is a good measure.
“There is no safe level of lead for consumption and lead exposure carries serious health consequences,” Dr. Jones said. “Children who have been exposed to lead may show no outward signs at first but may later develop damage to the brain and nervous system that leads to learning and behavior problems, slowed growth and development, and may affect hearing and speech.”
Once the results of the testing for lead in the district’s identified potable water sources are received, the district will act to remediate any lead contamination in those water sources, in accordance with the law, before the first day of school for the 2024-25 school year or Aug. 1, 2024, whichever is later.
Within one week of receiving the testing results, the district will inform parents and staff if any of the results exceed the allowable 5 ppm;
Within two weeks of receiving the testing results, the district will make the report available on the district website at www.pcsd32.com;

Provide bottled purified water to ensure access to drinking water for students and staff at any site where the closing of potable water sources for remediation results in lack of access to safe drinking water
Prioritize any necessary remediation at Perryville Primary Center and Perryville
Elementary School, which houses early childhood education programs, kindergarten and elementary classrooms, in accordance with RSMo160.077;
If any potable water source is found to have lead contamination about 5ppm, the district will remove or replace plumbing fixtures that do not meet the EPA’s Lead Contamination Control Act of 1988, in accordance with RSMo160.077;
If the water source (in this case, the City of Perryville’s public water supply), is found to be the source of water with lead concentrations higher than 5 ppm, the district will install appropriate filters at the water inlet to each of the nine sites and at each potable water outlet. If this is not possible, bottled purified water will be provided at affected sites;
Replace any plumbing components that are out of compliance with RSMo160.077 with components that meet standards of 40 CFR 143.12;
Before the first day of school for the 2024-25 school year or Aug. 1, 2024, whichever is later, the district will again test at least 25% of remediated drinking water outlets, and will continue testing at least 25% of the remaining remediated outlets each year until all remediated outlets have been tested as recommended by the EPA’s 2018 version of the 3Ts program. Once those sources have passed testing, they will be retested every 5 years.
Individuals with questions about this lead in drinking water remediation plan are invited to
contact Assistant Superintendent Craig Hayden at 573-547-7500 Ext. 1329 or chayden@pcsd32.com.