Elevated levels of lead found in OSU campus, Poling Hall water

Water fixtures at the Poling residence hall on the Oregon State University campus have come back positive for elevated lead levels after being tested by officials this June.

The lead tests were carried out in conjunction with copper level tests, which were also administered by the university. OSU has been testing for both in 40 highly used locations on the main campus which also included the varied locations in all 15 residence halls, the Memorial Union, Reser Stadium and OSU’s day care centers.

Poling was the only facility that came back with lead levels exceeding university and federal guidelines.

Elevated levels of lead were found in Poling Hall in a floor level kitchen sink and three showers, all exceeding 20 parts per billion, which surpasses the EPA action level and require mandatory repairs, according to the OSU Office of Environmental Health and Safety’s 2016 Drinking Water Report.

Three other sinks and two more showers also showed higher levels of lead, but did not exceed the acceptable level.

OSU plans on fixing all water fixtures that came back positive for lead exceeding 10 parts per billion.

All fixtures that came back positive for lead exceeding OSU or federally approved levels have been shut down for repairs, according to a statement that was released by the university on Tuesday.

The statement from the university quotes Benton County health officials saying that the health effects would be “negligible given the borderline levels of lead found and the fact that the sinks and showers were not a primary water source for drinking.”

OSU will continue to test at its facilities in Bend as well as in Newport, results will be collected over the following months.

The OSU Drinking Water Sampling Results for Lead and Copper can be found here.

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