Elevated Lead Levels Found at Three Lawrence Elementary Schools

lawelementarycomposite_fsElevated lead levels have been found at three elementary schools in Lawrence, school officials said today. The district will give students and staff bottled water until the problems are corrected.

Due to concerns raised across the country about lead in water,
the Lawrence Township Public Schools hired an environmental consultant to test the water at all seven district schools.

Preliminary test results for Eldridge Park, Lawrenceville Elementary and Slackwood Schools indicate elevated levels of lead in some locations within the three buildings. Results for the other four schools are not available yet.

Workers have shut down all water sources that demonstrated elevated levels, for example faucets or water fountains.

School officials did not say how many areas in each school tested positive for elevated lead levels, and did not disclose what the levels are.

The district is working with its environmental consultant to conduct secondary testing to narrow the causes of the elevated levels, officials said. The testing was done the morning of May 4 before students and staff arrived.

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Krystal Knapp is the founding editor of Planet Princeton. Follow her on Twitter @krystalknapp. She can be reached via email at editor AT planetprinceton.com. Send all letters to the editor and press releases to that email address.