Dear St. John’s Lane Elementary community,
Providing a safe and healthy learning environment is our top priority at St. John’s Lane Elementary School. The Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) has been testing all schools for the presence of lead in school drinking water in compliance with a 2018 state regulation requiring testing in all Maryland schools. The lead testing complements HCPSS’ Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) program, which proactively maintains proper indoor environments.
While science has not established a safe level of lead exposure, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) recommends water outlets be taken out of service if the lead level exceeds 5 parts per billion (ppb). During a recent water sampling collection on September 19 and 20, 2024 at our school one out of the 15 fixture samples had lead levels exceeding 5 ppb.
When a water outlet is found to exceed the 5 ppb level, the outlet is closed immediately, and remedial actions are planned. Appropriate remedial actions can include evaluating the cause, and replacing the necessary fixture or plumbing. Students and staff will see the water outlet shut down while this work is completed.
Please find the attached notice for more details. Test results can also be found on the HCPSS website, and a link to results will be added to our school website.
For more information, contact John Farmer, Environmental Specialist, at John_Farmer@hcpss.org. As always, please also do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.
Best regards,
Melanie Krablin
Results Notice:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DxlVb3axox6MWEhEEfofmYcOs_jaZkHd/view?usp=sharing
SJLES Locations:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/19Be4or8c_8dtew11APA7hYD74ng9MPZ9/view?usp=sharing