Dear District Students, Employees, and Community Members:

The Chautauqua Lake Central School District takes the health and safety of everyone in our District community seriously, and regularly takes steps to ensure that we are providing a safe and healthy environment for all on our campus. Part of that commitment to health and safety includes annual testing for lead in the District’s water supply. In accordance with federal and state laws, the District annually tests water samples from all of the outlets from which potable water may be dispensed, including faucets, drinking fountains, and water bottle filling stations. 

This year, that testing occurred on April 1, 2021, and the District received the results of that testing on June 2, 2021. In accordance with the outside expert the District retained to perform the testing, the first draw water samples were taken after letting the water remain unmoved in the pipes over a period of 8 to 18 hours. Of the 194 water samples tested on April 1, 2021, 23 showed lead levels above the 15 parts per billion (ppb). It is noteworthy that none of these 23 areas is a water fountain or bottle filling station.

Lead is unusual among drinking water contaminants in that it seldom occurs naturally in water supplies like groundwater, rivers, and lakes, but it can become part of the water supply due to the plumbing fixtures through which it passes. New laws that went into effect in 2014 reduced the amount of lead that plumbing fixtures can contain from 8% to 1%. However, brass faucets, fittings, and valves – including those advertised as “lead free” – may still contribute lead to drinking water. Levels of lead at any water outlet above 15 ppb require action by the District to remediate this issue.

The Chautauqua Lake Central School District is immediately taking a number of steps to correct the problem revealed by the recent water testing. Upon receipt of the test results on June 2, 2021, the District began working with the local Department of Health to craft and implement a remediation plan. First, the District shut off all of the 23 water source fixtures that were identified as being above the acceptable level. Second, the District will replace the fixtures in the 23 identified areas. Finally, after the replacement of these fixtures has been completed, the District will work with the Department of Health to retest these 23 areas. If -- and only if -- the test results permit, these 23 areas will then be reopened for use by our community. 

We will continue to work closely with the Chautauqua County Department of Health and the Village of Mayville to ensure safety for our students, staff, and extended school community. A copy of our water testing report is available in each of the schools’ main offices, which are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Results are also posted on the District website at www.clake.org.

For more information about water quality and sampling for lead contact the Chautauqua County Department of Health and Human Services at 753-4000.

We take the health and safety of our community very seriously, and will work diligently and efficiently to ensure that the areas identified by the testing are addressed properly. If you have any questions, please let one of us know. Thank you. 
 
Sincerely,
Dr. Joshua Liddell, Superintendent of Schools
Megan Lundgren, Elementary Principal
Rachel Curtin, Secondary Principal
Jackson Graham, Business Executive
Barry Larson, Interim Director of Facilities