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Signs posted in a downstairs bathroom at the Capitol building in Salem not to drink the water. Elevated levels of lead, discovered in preliminary testing, have prompted legislative administrators to retest all drinking-water facilities.

(Dana Tims/Staff)

Preliminary tests show that drinking water in the state Capitol, just like water in scores of schools and other public facilities around the state, contains potentially unsafe levels of lead.

The findings have prompted building administrators to shut off several drinking fountains, post signs warning against drinking from bathroom sinks and order up more tests to see how widespread the problem might be.

Based on early testing, the problem appears concentrated in sinks and fixtures in the oldest parts of the Capitol, which date to 1938.

"At this point, it's a little premature to know what the cause of the lead is," Daron Hill, the Legislature's administrator, told members of the Legislative Administration Committee on Friday. "We're now going to go back and retest everything."

Hall said results have come back for 63 out of 113 locations tested around the building. Of those 63, eight showed elevated levels of lead. Those spots included a break-room sink, two historic drinking fountains and five sinks in the Capitol's original bathrooms.

Hall said most were "fairly high above" the federal safety threshold of 15 parts per billion.

No lead has been detected in the offices and hearing rooms of the Capitol's east and west wings, which were added to the structure in 1977, Hall said.

Legislators decided to test various Capitol water facilities this summer, after high lead levels showed up in schools and public buildings around the state, said House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland.

Kotek added that some of the highest lead levels, according to preliminary tests, are in fountains and sinks in and around her office. The speaker's office resides in the older part of the building, behind the House chambers.

"We've shut them all off," she said of fountains across the Capitol, "and we're now stocking plenty of bottled water."

Two types of tests will now be conducted to pinpoint the cause of the problem, Hall said.

The first will involve testing water that's allowed to sit overnight. The second will allow water to run from a fixture before testing it. The first test is intended to see if the fixture itself is contaminating the water, while the second will let technicians determine if the pipes beyond the fixture are the source of the problem.

Kotek's office said costs associated with testing are below $10,000.

Others wondered whether more testing could lead to further positive findings and, thus, higher costs.

"Is it concerning to anyone else that we're focusing on leading testing in the Capitol, but none of the other state buildings?" said Rep. Greg Smith, R-Heppner. "We could have a can of worms here."

-- Dana Tims

503-294-7647; @DanaTims