Lead Found In Three Drinking Water Samples Taken In Two Schools In Barnegat School District

BARNEGAT, NJ - Lead has been found in the drinking water of three sinks in two schools in the Barnegat school district, according to the district website.

The district recently had the drinking water sources tested in the Robert L. Horbelt School, The Cecil S. Collins School and the Lillian M. Dunfee, elementary schools . The test results came back on April 6, according to a letter sent to parents by district facilities coordinator Patrick Sullivan.

The district took "immediate" remedial action, including turning off the affected sinks unless they were needed for handwashing, or posting signs that read "Do not drink, safe for handwashing only."

One classroom sink at the Lillian M. Dunfee School had lead levels of 16.5 parts per billion. A kitchen sink in the Cecil S. Collins School had a reading of 17.1, and a main office sink at the Collins school had a 23.2 reading, according to the district website.

More samples of the district's other three schools are scheduled for later this month.

Lead is not a typical source of contamination in nature. But it can be found in plumbing materials, even newer ones, which can be subject to corrosion.

"When water stands in lead pipes or plumbing systems that contain lead for several hours, lead may dissolve in the drinking water," the letter states. "This means the first water drawn from the tap in the a.m. may contain fairly high levels of lead."

Image: Patch file photo.