April 14, 2022 By Carol Britton Meyer
Interim Principal Sheila Kukstis notified the Foster School community today, April 13, that during recent lead and copper sampling, "one isolated hot water tap at our school had lead levels above the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection-recommended certified laboratory detection limit of 1 ppb (parts per billion)."
Plans are in place to reduce potential exposure to lead in the school's drinking water. "The administration takes these results very seriously and is moving immediately to safeguard the health of the students, faculty, and staff," Kukstis said in the email.
Steps are being taking to address the issue of lead in the water. To safeguard students and other sensitive individuals -- including women who are pregnant or nursing -- Foster School is working "closely and cooperatively" with MassDEP and others," Kukstis said, and is taking the following actions beyond having already removed from service the one tap with lead concentrations over the school’s lead shut-down level:
- Providing bottled water and shutting down all hydration stations (water bubblers had already been shut down in response to COVID protocols) and
- Continuing to perform monthly building flushes that take place on the second Wednesday of every month, along with additional flushes.
"As a result of our notification of high lead in this one tap, we will do building flushes every two weeks for the next 60 days," Kukstis said. "We will develop and put into place a corrective action plan as quickly as possible following additional testing and consultation."
Foster School has already developed a sampling plan that will require another sample to conduct testing at the identified outlet," according to Kukstis. "This sample must be taken in the early morning, so this will be done tomorrow [Friday] morning before the students arrive." The results will be shared with the Foster School Community once they are received.
The Hingham Public Schools Maintenance Department may be contacted at (781) 741-1511 with any questions or concerns.