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Lincoln School water system no longer contaminated By Kevin Opsahl Updated: Nov 15, 2022 05:01 PM A A After going for months without potable water due to high levels of lead, Ashland’s Lincoln School is now operating normally. During a school board meeting Monday, Ashland School District Superintendent Samuel Bogdanove reported that after additional testing and maintenance, all faucets are clear. “That’s an incredibly good feeling,” Bogdanove said. “To be sure, we’ll probably do some additional testing above what is required of the state. We just want to come back in a year and double-check it.” The state requires lead testing every six years. Lead levels were acceptable in 2016, the last time Ashland School District facilities were tested. But last spring, 12 of 60 spigots tested showed water that was contaminated, containing lead levels just above the acceptable 15 parts per billion. Other samples were well above that, at 99 or even 128 PPB. A second test improved the situation, Bogdanove said, but five spigots still gave contaminated water. “We went through the process this summer following the guidance for mitigation, which is really all about changing the spigots themselves and then the water feed lines,” Bogdanove told board members Monday. “Those are the most common causes of elevated lead levels. (The feed lines and faucets) tend to corrode more quickly over time than standard pipes.” The final test that proved acceptable levels of lead was conducted this fall. Lead in drinking water is a well-known health hazard, and Oregon Health Authority says infants and children are “particularly susceptible” to any problems it may cause, including delays in physical and mental development. “That’s why we acted so quickly,” Bogdanove told the Mail Tribune. “It has a cumulative effect over time.” However, no illnesses among students or staff were reported from drinking Lincoln School water, which was stopped while the problem was being resolved. The campus community utilized bottled water for classroom needs. Lincoln School houses the district’s high school alternative education and GED programs, serving 95 students in grades 9-12. The program houses five teachers and offices for a small group of specialist staff that serve multiple school sites. The facility no longer houses TRAILS Outdoor School, which moved into a new space next to Ashland Middle School. The public is invited to a grand opening celebration of the outdoor school from 5:30 to 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 17, at AMS, 100 Walker Ave., Ashland. Reach reporter Kevin Opsahl at 541-776-4476 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @KevJourno.