Dear Chatham CSD Families,
I wanted to update you on the progress we have made in regards to our recent water testing and remediation. As I shared with you in January, the Chatham Central School District conducted testing of drinking water sources throughout our schools and identified several areas where lead levels were at or above the NYS Department of Health action level of five parts per billion. I am pleased to report that we have completed a large share of the remediation needed and wanted to share the results with you.
Remediation Completed
Chatham Elementary School
The fountain/bottle filling stations in the grade 1-3 hallway, the grade 4-5 hallway, and in the lobby had filtration systems installed.
Fountains in pre-k and kindergarten classrooms that exceeded state action levels had filtration systems installed.
The kitchen pot filler had a filtration system installed.
All sinks not intended for drinking/food preparation were labeled with "Handwash Only" signage.
Chatham Middle School
The fountain/bottle filling stations in the 7th-grade hallway and the 8th-grade hallway were replaced with new water stations that were donated to the District.
The CMS faculty room sink had a filter installed.
All sinks not intended for drinking/food preparation were labeled with "Handwash Only" signage.
Chatham High School
The fountain/bottle filing stations in the science/art hallway and in the lobby were replaced.
Filtration systems were installed in the main office sink, the faculty room sink, two sinks in room 107b, and the storage room ice machine.
All sinks not intended for drinking/food preparation were labeled with "Handwash Only" signage.
All drinking water sources above were retested after remediation. Laboratory results confirmed that they are below the state action level and have been returned to service.
Ongoing Remediation
All fountains in grade 2-5 classrooms will be removed.
Self-contained special education classroom fountains will have filters installed (these did not fail testing, this is a precaution)
All fountains in CMS classrooms will be removed.
Though not required, after receiving the results from our school buildings, the District conducted water testing at the Chatham Public Library and Bus Garage. This identified one sink at the Library and two sinks at the Bus Garage that needed remediation. Filtration systems will be installed in all three sinks.
As always, the health and safety of our students and staff remain our highest priority. Complete reports of our water testing results are available on our website's Water Testing and Remediation webpage...