There's good news on the latest test results surrounding unsafe lead levels found in the water of both Boothbay Region schools. In March, student Lillian Sherburne contacted Facilities and Transportation Director David Benner after surveying students who complained about the water's taste. Five water sources in the schools were identified as having higher-than-normal lead levels, prompting a shutdown of drinking and cooking water sources throughout both schools.

Since the water shutdown and subsequent tests, students and staff have been drinking bottled water and bringing water bottles from home, and staff have cooked with bottled water.

At the June 7 Boothbay-Boothbay Harbor Community School District Board of Trustees meeting, Alternative Organizational Structure (AOS) 98 Superintendent Eileen King said the latest round of testing found that lead levels were within safety-standard levels. “It was strictly a fixture-based problem,” she said.

Benner has been working with Dirigo Engineering Inc. throughout the testing and mitigation process, and in formulating a policy and procedural plan regarding school water testing going forward. He gave the trustees a summary page, with subsequent pages detailing Water Safety Protocols, including flushing and testing procedures. The summary page is included below.

Water/Lead Mitigation Summary

1. Extensive cold water fixture testing and fixture inventory has been completed.
2. The schools have worked closely with Dirigo Engineering to establish Plans, Policies and Procedures for water testing moving forward.
3. To date, 37 old fixtures have been replaced with new fixtures.
4. Signs have been posted at cold-water locations where the water is not for drinking or food use.
5. Poland Springs will supply all drinking and food preparation water until the end of the school year.
6. Twenty-three fixtures will be replaced after school closes for the summer, including 12 new water fountains. These fountains have water-bottle fill-up faucets.
7. A flushing program will be initiated wherein cold water will be run for two minutes at the beginning of each school week. Flushing will also take place after holidays and vacations.
8. Testing will continue at each school, and will take place in different locations.
9. Water will be tested quarterly during the first year, bi-annually the second year, and annually during the third year and moving forward.
10. Testing procedures and plans will become part of (the) Boothbay region school Annual Maintenance Plan, will be revised and updated as needed, and will be reviewed at the end of year three.

King said the final costs for the testing, including bringing water into the school, fixture and fountain purchase, consulting fees and other charges will come in at around $30,000.