SAN DIEGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT Districtwide Water Sampling Board of Education April 25, 2017
Water Sampling Overview The lead sampling effort is a partnership between San Diego Unified and City of San Diego, made possible by California permit action. District staff submitted the request to the city for district-wide water sampling in February 2017. The City of San Diego has been a great partner and quickly agreed to an expedited sampling plan that began on April 4. District schools and schools operating on district property will be sampled. 2
Water Sampling Overview City staff are working their way from the southeast corner of the district where some of the oldest facilities are located, moving north and west. Five campuses are sampled daily on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Sampling must be done early in the morning prior to daily flush and first use. Sampling will be complete by mid-June. 3
Water Flushing Protocol To minimize risk of exposure to contaminants that might be in the water, the district Operations Division has implemented a districtwide water flushing protocol. Each morning, all water outlets used for human consumption are to be flushed by school staff for one minute prior to first use. On the morning of sampling, outlets scheduled for lead sampling will not be flushed until after sampling is complete. Those outlets will be secured the night before by school staff. 4
Where else? San Diego Unified submitted its formal request for sampling to the City on February 14. Two days later, the San Diego Union-Tribune called for all local districts to request lead sampling by their water providers. San Diego Unified will offer support and assistance to charter schools in the district and other districts. 5
Water Sampling Progress # of Sam pling # of Schools # of Schools # of Schools Plans Subm itted Sam pled W ith Results W ith Results to City Below Action Above Action Level Level 109 72 29 2 Information as of April 21, 2017 Lead action level is 15 parts per billion, set by the State Water Resources Control Board Division of Drinking Water 6
Emerson-Bandini Elementary / San Diego Cooperative Charter 2 Water quality issue at the Emerson campus of San Diego Cooperative 2 was reported to district staff on January 26. District staff quickly secured the water at the Emerson campus and began providing bottled water to the campus. Emerson campus was sampled by city for volatile organic compounds in Late February. Lead sampling took place in early March. Physical Plant Operation staff identified the sources of the contaminants and implemented plumbing fixes. Re-testing by the city has confirmed that remediation was successful for both contaminants. 7
Health Resources For Families Parents in this district have various degrees of access to health resources. Not all parents will have access to a doctor to discuss their child’s situation, nor will they be able to get a blood tests for lead levels. District will take steps to ensure equitable access to health resources. 8
Health Resources For Families Steps the district will take: ◦ Coordinate with local community clinics and health agencies to host culturally sensitive and multi-language educational events. ◦ District staff will assist families so they can access health services Medi-Cal application assistance. Referrals to specific clinics that do blood testing for lead. Case management assistance for parents at select school sites and Wellness Centers. 9
Additional Resources for Parents Communications Office has created a Water Sampling webpage: www.sandiegounified.org/watersampling Webpage has background information on water sampling effort and daily flushing program. Webpage has links to resources for parents: District Water Sampling Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), Division of Drinking FAQ, and San Diego County Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Page. 10
Transparency District is coordinating with each principal to keep parents updated about water sampling progress and results. District is providing communications support to schools (e.g., template letters, SchoolMessenger assistance). Website is frequently updated and new results are posted quickly. District is providing regular updates to elected officials and local media. 11
Transparency District leaders and staff providing an update to a delegation of elected officials and city representatives. 12
Transparency Screenshot of district’s Water Sampling Results webpage. 13
Next Steps Sampling will continue through mid-June. District is prepared to rapidly respond to any sampling results that indicate lead levels above the state’s action level. ◦ District will quickly secure contaminated sinks, faucets and fixtures. ◦ District will provide bottled water. ◦ District will communicate results with parents. ◦ District will investigate the source(s) of contamination and make the required fixes. ◦ City will re-sample to ensure the remedies have worked. Estimated Costs: Hard to predict, but Emerson campus can serve as an example. ◦ Cost for bottled water support and lead remediation is about $12,000. 14
Questions? Drew Rowlands, Chief Operations Officer Dr. Howard Taras, District Physician Andrew Sharp, Chief Information Officer Samer Naji, Facilities Communications Liaison 15
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