October 9, 2009
New water tests show 4 buildings OK, 1 still exceeds lead threshold at Purdue
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Water in four of five Purdue buildings that had exceeded state thresholds for lead now meets or exceeds standards, university officials announced Friday (Oct. 9).The university also announced that its Office of Internal Audits will review the way in which the campus community was initially notified about the elevated lead levels and report its findings by Oct. 23.
"Our initial review has led us to believe a more thorough investigation is warranted. We take the safety of our campus community very seriously, and the results of this investigation will help us improve," said Al Diaz, executive vice president for business and finance, treasurer.
The tests from five buildings were reported to Purdue in September. Immediately after the problem was discovered, staff made sure that phosphate was being fed into the lines at the proper level to coat the lines, preventing lead from leaching into the water.
New samples were then sent to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) for another round of testing. The new results showed that water in the Mathematical Sciences and Krannert buildings, Schleman Hall, and one apartment in Purdue Village now meet standards. The level from one faucet in the first-floor men's restroom in Lynn Hall, while reduced from .089 to .033 parts per million, still exceeded the .015 parts per million threshold.
Bottled water is being supplied to individuals in Lynn Hall. The university's utilities staff will work to mitigate the problem there, adjusting phosphate and PH levels, and also will collect water samples from other faucets in the building and send those to IDEM for testing. Results are expected back in early November.
Water samples from 60 campus buildings, including the five that showed problems, will be tested between now and June 30.
Lead in plumbing is a problem nationwide, not just at Purdue. Lead enters drinking water primarily as a result of corrosion of materials containing lead in the system, such as lead-based solder used to join copper pipe, brass and chrome-plated faucets, and, in some cases, pipes made of lead that connect houses and buildings to water mains. Because of this, IDEM recommends that when any faucet in any building has not been used for several hours, the best practice is to run water 15 to 30 seconds, or until the water is cold, before drinking it or using it in cooking.
Writer: Jeanne Norberg, 765-494-2084, jnorberg@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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