November 3, 2022
Dear Parent or Guardian,
The Hawaii Department of Education (HIDOE) and the Hawaii Department of Health partnered with us to test the drinking water for lead at Hawaii public elementary schools. On 7/7/2022, samples were taken from all taps used for drinking or food preparation at Solomon Elementary and tested for lead. A total of 149 drinking water sources were tested. Results showed one tap had a level of lead at the project action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb), and one tap had lower, but measurable, levels of lead present in the drinking water. An action level of 15 ppb was set for this project and any results above this action level required the tap to be blocked from use until the problem could be corrected.
Because lead can be harmful to children even in smaller amounts, the Department of Health
recommended that schools with lower levels of lead take corrective action to decrease the amount of
lead present in the drinking water. Corrective actions included such options as:
- Flushing the water before use until a uniform temperature is reached (no less than 30 seconds)
- Using a filter certified to remove lead and periodically replacing filter cartridges
- Frequent cleaning of aerators
- Using the identified fixture for handwashing only and using bottled water for drinking/cooking
- Replacing the faucet or plumbing with certified lead free materials
The Department of Education set a threshold of >5 ppb (the lowest lead level reliably measured) to identify fixtures for replacement. Both fixtures with measurable lead were replaced at our school. Following replacement, samples were taken from the new fixtures and tested for lead. We are happy to report the results show that no lead is present in the drinking water at our school.
Childhood lead exposure remains a concern for many of Hawaii’s keiki as children can be exposed to lead from many sources in their homes and communities. If you have questions about childhood lead
exposure, please visit lead.hawaii.gov or contact the Hawaii Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention
Program (HI-CLPPP) at (808) 586-4345.
The full results can be viewed at health.hawaii.gov/WIIN/results by clicking the link for schools in our county and then searching by our school name.