DeKalb and Sycamore schools are finishing up necessary repairs on their water fixtures. That’s after some buildings had traces of lead in the water supply.
Six DeKalb elementary schools and two DeKalb middle schools recently had unsafe lead levels detected in the water. That’s according to reports shared by the school district.
Sycamore school officials say all five of Sycamore’s elementary schools sent letters home to parents and guardians.
Three schools had unsafe lead levels detected in the first round of water testing. In the second round, none of the schools had unsafe levels in their sinks or drinking fountains, but all of them still had enough detected where parents and guardians had to be notified.
Illinois law says parents and guardians must be notified if lead levels of more than five parts per billion are detected in schools. Schools that detect lead levels of 20 parts per billion or more in their water supply must take corrective action as advised by the Environmental Protection Agency.
One part per billion is equivalent to about one drop of water in a swimming pool.
Tammy Carson, director of facility operations for DeKalb schools, says all necessary repairs have been made within those schools and water re-testing will happen Feb. 9.
Carson says not a lot of families came to staff with questions after being notified.
“You know, as long as they understood the results and what changes we were making based on the test results, they all seemed very comfortable with how we’re handling it.”
Nicole Stuckert, chief financial officer for Sycamore schools, says not a lot of parents or guardians came to Sycamore school staff with questions initially after being notified, either.
“I think their questions were just more understanding the process and what the results meant, not necessarily if their child was in harm’s way or anything like that.”
Stuckert says the third round of testing for Sycamore schools will happen in April.