QUILLAYUTE VALLEY SCHOOLS
Office of the Superintendent
April 8,2025
Dear Families and Staff of Quillayute Valley School District:
As of 2021, Washington state law (RCW 28A.210.410 and RCW 43.70.830) require drinking water in all K-12 public schools built, or with all plumbing replaced, before 2016 be tested for lead. The purpose of lead testing is to identify drinking water outlets that are potential sources of lead exposure. It is natural for lead to accumulate in older or infrequently used drinking water outlets. These outlets are identified through testing so they can be shut off or replaced to reduce exposure to lead from school drinking water.
What We've Learned
On November 9th, 2024, 148 drinking water outlets were sampled. These water outlets were located at Forks Elementary School, Forks Middle School, and Forks High School. Water from outlets used for drinking or food preparation were tested for lead by a state-accredited laboratory. The test results show seventy-four (74) outlets with elevated lead levels. Per RCW 28A.210.410, elevated lead level means a lead concentration in drinking water that exceeds five (5) parts per billion (ppb).
What We're Doing
Upon receiving test results, water to outlets with elevated lead levels over 5 ppb were designated as handwash only or temporarily shut off/disabled. We are working closely with the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) to develop a remediation plan for reducing lead levels in drinking water. Once finalized, a copy of the plan will be posted to the Quillayute Valley School District's webpage:
https://www.qvschools.org/documents/district/safety-and-health/lead-in-drinking-water/762736
The plan will be made available to the public for comment for sixty (60) days, starting April 14th, 2025 and ending on June 13th, 2025. Public comments should be sent to
maintenance@qvschools.org. Once the comment period has passed, necessary adjustments will be made, and the final plan will be presented to the school board for review and approval. The final plan will be posted on the school's website at the address listed above.
Why Lead is 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.
Quillayute Valley School District Number 402
411 S Spartan Avenue Forks, Washington 98331-0060 Phone (360) 374-6262 Fax (360) 374-6990
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 is with a blood lead test.
Where to Learn More
Lead test results will be made available at the district office and on our website at: https://www.qvschools.org/documents/district/safety-and-health/lead-in-drinking-water/762736
For more information about water quality in our schools, please contact Bill Henderson at bill.henderson@qvschools.org or 360-374-6262 x109. 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. 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.
Sincerely,
Diana Reaume, Superintendent
Quillayute Valley School District Number 402
411 S Spartan Avenue Forks, Washington 98331-0060 Phone (360) 374-6262 Fax (360) 374-6990