Water Testing Protocol
On February 28, 2018 the Board of Education adopted Board Policy 3511.3 Clean Drinking Water. This policy requires the district to replace or remediate sources of consumable water that contain lead levels higher than 5 parts per billion (ppb). Previously, the district had been adhering to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommended action level of 15 ppb. This testing and replacement work began in the Summer of 2017.
After testing, if elevated levels of lead are discovered, elevated fixtures are shut down until they are fixed. The outlets are fixed or replaced and then they are retested prior to being reopened for usage.
Please see our 2024 testing timeline
About Lead Levels
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State of California set the action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb) for lead in drinking water. OUSD has set a more strict standard of 5 ppb.
According to State Water Resources Control Board recommendations, if the lead level in a drinking water sample collected from an outlet at a school is:
- 5 ppb or lower (within the District’s limit), No action necessary
- Above 5 ppb and below the State and Federal limit of 15 ppb, Outlet removed from service to be fixed
- Higher than the State and Federal Limit of 15 ppb, Outlet removed from service to be fixed