Lead In Schools
School Drinking Water Testing and Lead Information
We are committed to keeping our families, staff, and community informed about drinking water testing in our schools. This page shares our district dashboard, building-by-building results, corrective action updates, and resources about lead exposure and school water testing. This work is being carried out in accordance with RCW 28A.210.410, based on recommendations by the Washington Department of Health.
Washington requirements call for school buildings built, or with all plumbing replaced, before 2016 to complete lead testing by June 30, 2026, with retesting required at least once every five years beginning July 1, 2026. We will keep this dashboard available and continue updating it as new testing is completed and future findings are received.
On this page, families and staff can view findings for each building, including lead levels in parts per billion (ppb), corrective action plans, current status, and related notes. We will continue updating this dashboard as new results come in, as corrective actions are completed, and as future rounds of testing are conducted. Our goal is to provide clear, timely information so our community can stay informed every step of the way.
Update (July 2026)
We have completed the initial round of testing in all district buildings, and results for the 2025-26 school year have been received.
The District elected to purchase new, certified lead-free sink faucets and water fountains throughout the district to ensure the best quality water for students. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requires schools to be in normal session during testing. Replacement and testing of these fixtures was not completed until June 15, which did not leave sufficient time for the fixtures to be properly flushed after installation. As a result, some fixtures were not ready to pass testing prior to the end of the school year. These fixtures will be tested once the 2026-27 school year begins.
Results as of July 23, 2026 are as follows:
- CATS: No findings above the 5 ppb limit were identified through testing.
- Toppenish Middle School: All findings have been remediated, and post-remediation testing shows all fixtures at less than 5 ppb.
- Valley View Elementary School: All findings have been remediated, and post-remediation testing shows all fixtures at less than 5 ppb.
- Lincoln Elementary: All findings have been remediated, and post-remediation testing shows all fixtures at less than 5 ppb.
- Garfield Elementary: Two remaining fixtures are above 15 ppb and remain out of service until further testing can be performed. Four additional faucets remain above 6 ppb and are awaiting further testing.
- Kirkwood Elementary: Three remaining fixtures are above 6 ppb and are awaiting further testing.
- Toppenish High School: Twelve fixtures are above 6 ppb and are awaiting additional testing.
Please don't hesitate to contact our office with any questions regarding these results or the remaining testing schedule.
Lead Testing Results (2026)
Frequently Asked Questions
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Parts per billion, or ppb, is a unit used to measure very small amounts of a substance in water. It helps show how much of a contaminant, such as lead, is present, even at very low levels.
Washington State requires public schools to test lead in drinking water, with a strict action level of 5 parts per billion (ppb). Schools must remediate any, fixture testing above 5 ppb, and immediately shut off, or make inaccessible, any outlet exceeding 15 ppb, according to the Washington State Department of Health (.gov).
Washington State Regulations (RCW 28A.210.410)
- Action Level: 5 ppb.
- Immediate Action (>15 ppb): If a test result is higher than 15 ppb, the water fixture must be immediately shut off or made inaccessible.
- Remediation (5-15 ppb): Fixtures testing above 5 ppb but below 15 ppb must be remediated (e.g., replaced or filtered).
Federal Regulations
Action Level: The EPA's Action Level for Lead in Drinking Water at Schools and Child Care Facilities is 15 ppb for public water systems, but they recommend a 5 ppb actionable level for schools under their 3Ts guidance.
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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.
• 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 test.
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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.
Additional information about testing for Lead exposure is available online at DOH Contaminants | Lead
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Additional information about lead exposure, as well as how to prevent lead exposure, is available at DOH 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.