Oak Forest, Midlothian Schools Show High Levels of Lead in Water: Report

OAK FOREST, IL - A school in Oak Forest and one in Midlothian are among 56 Chicago-area Catholic elementary and high schools that have lead levels considered unsafe by federal regulations, according to a report released this past week by the Archdiocese of Chicago.

Of those schools, 18 were located within the city of Chicago while the remaining were located in the suburbs of Lake and Cook counties. Oak Forest's St. Damian and St. Christopher in Midlothian are among those listed.

A full list of the schools requiring action due to high lead levels in water can be found below.

In schools that required some level of action, meaning a water outlet or outlets tested above the EPA’s action level for lead, the issues found were limited to one to four water outlets in the schools. The Archdiocese did not identify any school-wide or system-wide water quality issues, according to a press release from the Archdiocese.

“The safety and well-being of our students is our most important priority, so it was important that the Archdiocese complete this testing” said Dr. Jim Rigg, Superintendent of Catholic Schools. “We are glad to see a high majority of or schools did not have any water issues identified. For the few where issues were detected, those outlets have been removed from service and we are diligently working to address the issues as quickly as possible.”

Action will be taken to remedy high lead levels at the following schools:

The full list of the 180 schools tested can be found on the Archdiocese of Chicago's website.

The Archdiocese of Chicago spearheaded the effort after lead issues, such as those in Flint, Mich., as well as reports of high levels of lead in schools, made headlines across the nation this past year.

Catholic school officials worked with an environmental consulting firm to create a testing protocol for its 180 schools. Throughout July, August and September, testing consultants visited the 180 Archdiocesan-sponsored schools and collected water samples from the drinking outlets in the schools, according to the news release.

The water samples were sent to an independent laboratory for analysis. If a water outlet tested above the EPA’s action level for lead, the Archdiocese immediately worked with the schools to put the affected outlet out of service until the issue is addressed.

Remediation plans will vary from installing a filtration system to replacing the water outlet. All of the affected water outlets will be re-tested following the remediation to ensure the issues have been resolved, according to the news release.

Following recommended best practices, the Archdiocese is also working with its schools to implement a standard flushing program for all designated drinking outlets.

"A flushing program is one of the best ways to help ensure clean and safe water sources," according to the news release.

Additionally, the Archdiocese has recommended its schools label all fixtures in the school buildings that are not designated as drinking outlets, including janitorial-type outlets and bathroom sinks, with appropriate signage.

By Amie Rowland (Patch Staff)

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