By Amy Batista, Special Writer
CRANBURY – The Cranbury School district will explore testing its water for lead as a precautionary step in light of elevated lead levels found in the drinking water in Newark public schools.
“I’m sure you guys all heard on the news about the water issue in Newark,” said Board of Education President Jennifer Cooke during the board’s March 15 meeting. “Just to be pro-active they, Middlesex and Mercer County, had a conference with all of the superintendents in the area just to inform everybody of it and to inform everybody of the survey that they are going to be sending out.”
Newark, home to the state’s largest school system, is responding to what Trenton lawmakers have called a “potential public health crisis” after 30 schools in the city had drinking water with elevated levels of lead. The state Department of Environmental Protection has said lead is in not in the city drinking water supply.
According to Cranbury Chief School Administrator and Principal Dr. Susan Genco, New Jersey American Water Co. services the school’s water. The company provides the school with a water quality report on an annual basis. The most recent report indicates no elevated levels of lead in the school’s water supply, according to Dr. Genco.
At this time, New Jersey does not require lead-based water testing be conducted at points of use inside school facilities.
Ms. Cooke reiterated at the meeting in her report to the board that the school’s water was fine.
“However, in light of recent events in Newark, we are exploring, through the facilities committee of our board, conducting such testing,” wrote Dr. Genco in an email responding to questions following the board meeting.
Dr. Genco said that in the meantime, facilities manager Dave Gallager is in the process of identifying of identifying vendors who can perform the water testing services. The school will provide updates to the public and information becomes available, according to Dr. Genco.
Princeton School District will also test the water at all of its schools for lead as a precautionary step in light of elevated lead levels found in the drinking water in Newark public schools. Its schools are also serviced by American Water Co.
For $1,500, the district said all of its buildings would be tested and that results should come back around April 1. The district said American Water Co. checks the water before it enters the schools, but the testing by N.J. Analytical Labs will involve checking water that comes out of faucets and drinking fountains.
Reporter Philip Sean Curran contributed to this story.
