District-wide water testing underway for Columbia Public Schools

Lab tests are underway for water quality in all of Columbia Public Schools’ facilities this summer.

The district hired PDC Laboratories from Peoria, Illinois to collect 2,000 samples from CPS buildings to test for the presence of bacteria and metals, at a cost of $41,500. School spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark said the district has never done a system-wide water quality test, and wanted to “voluntarily” check the water coming out of its taps and fountains.

“We don’t feel that there’s any concern,” Baumstark told ABC 17 News, “but it’s important for us to have a baseline, especially as we move forward now and in the future. We do have buildings that are aging, and we want to be proactive.”

District officials began considering the project amid controversy in Flint, Michigan over high lead levels in drinking water. After switching to a river for water, Flint’s older lead pipes began “leaching” into the water as it made its way to homes. Columbia gets its water from an “aquifer” in McBaine, and changed out its lead water distribution pipes several decades ago, but private taps and connections may still have lead soldering or lead pipes.

Baumstark said the district’s last major water project took place in 1994, when they replaced connections to water fountains in schools. Baumstark said many lead pipes in schools have been replaced during renovations. Right now, the school district decides to test water when someone or something raises concerns with staff.

“Water may come out brown, or maybe there was a piping issue or something like that, and so that would prompt us to do a spot test,” Baumstark said. “But we’ve never really had anything that’s come back that’s to be of concern.”

CPS expects to have PDC Labs’ final report by the fall.