Public and charter schools in Lake and Porter counties can take advantage of a new state program offering free testing for lead for their drinking water.
The Indiana Finance Authority announced the program last month, available to public and charter schools across the state.
“This voluntary program is part of the state’s comprehensive efforts to ensure the availability of safe drinking water,” IFA’s Director of Environmental Programs Jim McGoff said in a statement.
The program follows U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines, testing in areas where water could be used for consumption: drinking fountains, ice machines, classroom sinks, cafeteria and food preparation sinks, teacher’s lounge sinks, and other applicable fixtures.
“While satisfactory samples are expected at schools around the state, officials have a plan to assist in cases where lead levels are elevated,” according to the statement.
The EPA’s water action level threshold is 15 parts per billion. If elevated lead levels are found in testing, schools would be eligible to apply to IFA’s State Revolving Fund loan program that makes low-interest loans available to address needs for wastewater and drinking water infrastructure.
“If a sample test reveals elevated lead levels, the IFA and Indiana Department of Environmental Management will work with the school district to map out next steps to address the situation,” the statement added.
The testing program will be paid through federal funds, McGoff said Tuesday, although the agency cannot predict how many schools will opt to participate.
“We have no idea what the demand will be,” he said. The program is being modeled on a similar initiative in Massachusetts that cost about $2.8 million, McGoff said.
In a letter sent to district superintendents last month, it stated that the agency would most likely only be able to fund an initial round of testing and lab results. If more funding later becomes available, “additional rounds of sampling may be conducted following the implementation of remediation efforts,” it stated. Remediation services would not be funded by the program.
School districts would need to fill out an online questionnaire by April 1 that would assist the agency in prioritizing testing. It declined to say how many schools have applied for the program to date.
The IFA plans to hold informational meetings in future months.
The current program was devised and implemented independently of the East Chicago lead crisis, McGoff said.
In December, city officials there announced water testing that found elevated lead levels in the water in portions of the West Calumet neighborhood, reinforcing the need to the need to upgrade utility infrastructure. The levels detected in the water supply are believed to be unrelated to the neighborhood’s soil contamination.
Questionnaires and other information is available at in.gov/ifa/2958.htm.
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