In accordance with State Water Resources Control Board regulations, in March 2017 the District requested lead testing be conducted by its local water authorities; Helix Water District in the case of Pepper Drive School, and Padre Dam Municipal Water District in the case of the eight other District schools. Five drinking fountain locations were tested at each school.
Test results for all locations were either "not detectable" or below the action level of 15 parts per billion set by the Environmental Protection Agency and adopted by the State of California. Content below 5 parts per billion is considered "not detectable".
There were two locations found to be at or above the detectable limit and well below the action level:
- The tunnel at Cajon Park which tested at 5 parts per billion
- Cajon Park Annex (Alternative School and Santee Success Program) which tested at 6 parts per billion
Although test results at these two locations were well below the action level, out of an abundance of caution, these locations were taken out of service on May 24,2017. A new fixture was installed at the Cajon Park Annex location and retest samples were taken at both locations on May 24, 2017.
Test results for the two retests came back at 8 parts per billion at both locations, still well below the action level. The District is leaving these fountains, and all fountains at Cajon Park Annex, out of service and bottled water will continue to be provided at Cajon Park Annex until options are fully researched.
The reason for leaving all fountains out of service at the Cajon Park Annex and not at the Cajon Park Main Campus is that only one fountain location was tested at the Cajon Park Annex. Therefore, lead content is unknown for the other locations. Four locations were tested at the Cajon Park Main Campus and only one had detectable levels; giving reasonable certainty that detectable lead content is isolated to this location.
Summary of lead testing results:
