TUPPER LAKE, N.Y. (WCAX) – School officials in Tupper Lake are in the midst of replacing water lines at the elementary school. It comes after a recent state report raising concerns about the levels of lead in the district.
“They need to do a better job in terms of monitoring and remediating the issue of lead. So, making sure there is adequate testing and then when they find a deficiency, remediating it,” said New York Comptroller Thomas Dinapoli.
Sean Auclair, the district’s head of buildings and grounds, says this includes almost all classroom and cafeteria sinks at L.P. Quinn Elementary, but not fill stations or drinking fountains. He says part of their current capital project upgrades at the school includes swapping out old water lines. “When the water lines get replaced, we are going to do a retest of the entire building. And when we get those results back, we are going to implement the plan, if needed. Hopefully, everything comes back and we don’t need to,” he said. He says that plan includes placing filters on sinks or flushing water outlets and testing afterwards.
Despite the upgrades, Tupper Lake Central School District Superintendent Jaycee Welsh says they also have work to do at their middle and high school. “If we try filters and that doesn’t work, and we try the next thing — and we have to replace water lines, and we have to figure out how to do it — regardless if we are in a capital project,” Welsh said.
Officials say Tupper Lake isn’t the only district that came back with higher lead levels. That’s because recent state requirements changed in New York from 15 parts per billion to five parts per billion. “What school districts across New York state are finding is that more of their outlets are testing for high levels of lead because the standard was increased so much,” Welsh said.
School officials say they plan to have all lines swapped and water retested by the beginning of this school year.
