Dear George L. Cooke Elementary School families and caregivers,
State law requires school districts to sample all water outlets currently or potentially used for drinking or cooking purposes in buildings that may be occupied by students and to submit those samples to a state-approved lab for analysis. Testing last took place in September 2023 and must be completed every three years thereafter, unless the state Commissioner of Health requires testing sooner.
The state established an action level of 0.005 milligrams of lead per liter. If a sample from a water outlet exceeds this level, schools must take steps to prevent the use of the outlet for drinking or cooking purposes until it is remediated and follow-up testing confirms it is no longer above the action level.
School districts are required to report the results of all water testing to the state Department of Health, the state Education Department and the local health department, and to post the results—along with remediation plans, if required—on the official district website. Our results are below.
The results of one sink tested at the George L. Cooke Elementary School exceeded the threshold. This sink is located in the assistant principal’s office. Upon receiving the results, the facilities team replaced the faucet of that sink with a mixing valve, and posted “do not drink” signage. With this remediation, the school is now full compliance with the Department of Health’s requirements.