Lead Found In Morris Elementary School Drinking Water

MORRIS TWP., N.J. – Testing at 32 locations throughout the Morris School District for high levels of lead in March came back with one result higher than the maximum allowed by law.

One water fountain at Hillcrest Elementary School returned a result of 0.020 parts per billion, or .005 higher than the 0.015 parts per billion maximum, the district announced Wednesday.

Testing was conducted across all schools in the district from March 16 to 18 and results were delivered Tuesday, March 29, the district said. Water used for drinking and in classrooms at Hillcrest Elementary was immediately turned off. Students and staff there are now using bottled water, the district announced.

Moving forward, we are creating a comprehensive process to collect water samples from every water source in the district where students, parents, or faculty might possibly obtain drinking water,” said Superintendent Mackey Pendergrast. “This includes all water fountains and sinks (e.g., science laboratories, bathrooms, custodial rooms, classrooms, kitchens) and it will require careful and deliberative steps in order to assure the highest fidelity in results. As with Hillcrest Elementary School, we will immediately take action by turning off the water at any source that is found to exceed the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) and begin the remediation process. I will communicate the results to the community as soon as they are received by my office throughout the next few months.”

The results come just a few weeks after Morristown Medical Center shut down its drinking water capabilities when it learned some of its water sources were putting out lead levels 73-times the maximum limit.

The hospital conducted more than 1,000 blood tests of patients, visitors, and staff and showed no elevated levels in anyone who may have consumed the water.

See the full test results from the Morris School District below: