Lori Higgins

Detroit Free Press

Six of the 15 schools in Grosse Pointe Public Schools had initial elevated levels of lead and copper, according to results the district released today.

The district conducted first-draw samples, meaning it took collections as the water was turned on. It also conducted two-minute flush samples, meaning samples were taken after the water was running for two minutes.

At Barnes Early Childhood Center, for instance, the first-draw sample at a sink in a faculty lounge showed lead levels of 70 parts per billion (ppb), well above the Environmental Protection Agency's threshold for taking action of 15 ppb. After the two-minute flush, the lead level was just 1 ppb.

In most cases where the first-draw sample showed elevated levels of lead or copper, the levels were below federal standards after the two-minute flush sample was taken.

Superintendent Gary Niehaus said in a news release that the two-minute flush results "appear to indicate more of a problem with individual fixtures than a systemic issue."

The testing was conducted March 29-31.

Detroit's health chief: Screen all children for lead

Other sites with elevated lead and copper levels: Brownell Middle School, Defer Elementary School, Kerby Elementary School, Maire Elementary School and Pierce Middle School.

Overall, just 10 of the 130 samples tested in the district's 15 schools were above the EPA action level, the district said.

"The findings of this initial screening are comparable to what we're seeing in other schools and buildings that we have tested," Scott Chandler of the company Testing Engineers and Consultants, said in the news release. The company conducted the water testing for the district.

Barnes had the highest initial lead level. A sink at Brownell and a first-floor drinking fountain at Pierce had levels of 44 ppb. The rest of the elevated samples ranged from 16 ppb at a kitchen sink at Maire to 26 ppb at a second floor drinking fountain at Pierce.

As for the copper readings, the highest was the first-floor drinking fountain at Pierce, which had a reading of 1,900 ppb, above the EPA action level of 1,300 ppb.

In the wake of the readings, the district said every water fountain that tested above the action level has been disconnected; results were shared with staff, families and others, and drinking fountains at Defer and Pierce were re-tested and bottled water delivered to students and staff. Further precautions were planned to replace some fixtures, cut off some drinking fountains, and sinks will be flushed before using water for consumption or cooking.

Contact Lori Higgins: 313-222-6651, lhiggins@freepress.com or @LoriAHiggins