Dear Toppenish families and staff,

We are committed to keeping our families, staff, and community informed about drinking water testing in our schools.

The Washington State Department of Health requires testing for lead in school drinking water. State requirements also say that public K-12 school buildings built, or with all plumbing replaced, before 2016 must be tested by June 30, 2026. These tests will help us identify any areas where fixture updates may be needed and support our efforts to ensure the best water quality possible. 

We have completed the initial round of testing in all of our buildings, and results are now starting to come in.

Here is where things stand right now:

• CATS had no findings above the 5ppb limit identified through testing.

• Toppenish Middle School had one finding identified; this finding has already been remediated. 

• We recently received findings for Toppenish High School and Garfield Elementary. We are now working with Sun Pacific Services to create an action plan for those buildings.

We are still waiting for results from:

• Early Learning Center

• Lincoln Elementary

• Valley View Elementary

• Kirkwood Elementary

To help keep our families and staff up to date, we have created a page on our website with a dashboard and more information about testing and lead exposure. Families can use this page to see each building’s findings, lead levels in parts per billion (ppb), corrective action plans, current status, and related notes. Learn more online: https://www.toppenish.wednet.edu/leadexposure

We will continue updating the data dashboard throughout the process so families have access to information as we work through each step. Once all corrective action plans have been completed, we will send a follow-up announcement to our community.

Thank you for your partnership as we work to keep our schools safe and our community informed.

We are Greater Together!

FAQ: Lead in Schools

Why is lead in drinking water a concern? 

Children are exposed to lead from a variety of environmental sources. Each exposure contributes to the amount of lead in a child’s body. Some common exposure sources include:

•         Dust from old, deteriorating lead paint.

•         Contaminated soil.

•         Lead dust tracked into the home from external sources, such as parents and regular visitors who work in certain industries where lead is present.

While the likelihood of school drinking water alone causing an elevated blood lead level is very low, it is important to reduce exposure from every source as much as possible. Children six years old and younger are the most susceptible to the effects of lead. Their growing bodies absorb more lead than adults, and their brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead. Even at very low levels of exposure, children may experience effects, such as lower IQ levels, reduced attention span, hyperactivity, poor classroom performance, or other harmful physical and behavioral effects. Children over the age of eight are less susceptible to the impacts of lead exposure. Children who have been exposed to lead may not look or act sick. The best way to tell if a child has been exposed to Lead is with a blood test. 

Where can I find information about having my child tested for lead exposure? 

If you are concerned that your child has been exposed to lead for any reason, ask your healthcare provider about having them tested for lead.

Additional information about testing for lead exposure is available online at https://doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/contaminants/lead/testing-lead-exposure

Where can I find more information about lead exposure? 

Additional information about lead exposure, as well as how to prevent lead exposure, is available at doh.wa.gov/lead. You can also reach out to the DOH Childhood Blood Lead Program at 800-909-9898 or lead@doh.wa.gov for more information.