In August 2016, we sent a letter to the families of Confluence Charter Schools to explain plans to test the water fountains at each of our schools. As you’ll remember, while we didn’t have a reason to believe there was a problem, we tested the water fountains as a precaution. The news coverage about lead levels in drinking fountains led many schools to test water fountains, and we wanted to ensure the safety of our students and staff.
The results of the environmental tests show that the water fountains are lead-free. We were notified of the results after business hours on November 2, 2016.
A total of 95 fountains were tested among all five schools – Aspire Academy, Confluence Academy-Old North, Confluence Academy-South City, Confluence Preparatory Academy and Grand Center Arts Academy. The tests were conducted by Mold and Environmental Testing, LLC, in mid-September. The results were expected within 3-4 weeks, but because of a high volume of testing by the company, the results were delayed.
As we explained in August, the water fountains in our buildings were retrofitted and aren’t as old as some that were shown on local news reports. Most of our older school buildings have cast iron or copper pipes, but any pipes that have been repaired or replaced are made of PVC, a lightweight plastic. Again, the tests were done as a precaution.