In April and May, 2021, BKW Central School District had the Elementary and Secondary schools’ water tested for lead in accordance with a September 2016 state law requiring all public school districts to conduct such testing. The law requires districts to sample all water outlets currently or potentially used for drinking or cooking purposes in buildings that may be occupied by students and to submit those samples to a state-approved lab for analysis.
Regulations called for testing to take place again in 2020 (extended to June 30, 2021 due to COVID-19) and every five years thereafter, unless the state Commissioner of Health requires testing sooner. The state established an action level of 15 micrograms of lead per liter, typically referred to as “parts per billion (ppb).” If a sample from a water outlet exceeds this level, schools must take steps to prevent the use of the outlet for drinking or cooking purposes until it is remediated and follow-up testing confirms it is no longer above the action level.
School districts are required to report the results of all water testing to the state Department of Health, the state Education Department and the local health department, and to post the results—along with remediation plans, if required—on their official district website. Our results are below.
BKW Elementary School: No lead detected at or over the action level.
Link to complete report: Elementary Lead Report 2021
BKW Secondary School: No lead detected at or over the action level.
Link to complete report: Secondary School Lead Report 2021