Allegheny Valley looks to replace old faucets after tests show unacceptable lead levels

After water from more than a dozen fixtures was found to have unacceptably high lead levels in Allegheny Valley schools, the district says it’s looking to replace parts to avoid future contamination.

District Superintendent Patrick Graczyk said 15 sinks and older drinking fountains in Acmetonia Elementary School and one faucet in Springdale Jr.-Sr. High School have been replaced or labeled with signage reading: “Not for drinking.”

But the high lead levels were not a complete surprise, according to district Buildings and Grounds Supervisor Jay Zangrille.

All of the affected sinks previously were labeled with signage after similar-aged faucets showed higher than acceptable lead levels in the last round of testing years ago, Zangrille said.

No drinking water sources in the district showed concerning levels of lead, he said.

Most of the fixtures are classroom sinks at Acmetonia, which still can be used for cleaning or hand washing, Zangrille said. Other affected sources include older bubbler drinking fountains, which have since been deactivated.

Six faucet fixtures — five at Acmetonia and one at the high school — already were replaced, according to Graczyk.

But several school board members said they would like to see all the fixtures replaced, even if they’re not sources of drinking water.

In the coming months, Zangrille said, that’s the plan. District crews will work to replace all of the older faucets in Acmetonia, regardless of their test results, he said.

The source of the lead, he said, is solely from the faucets, not from internal piping or water systems.

The replacements could be installed in October or November, he said.