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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Emergency Services, August 2 ... Part of West Rim Drive closed as firefighters battle Crater Lake blaze ... Officials say Zika virus likely will show up in Jackson County ... Emergency Services, August 2 ... Part of West Rim Drive closed as firefighters battle Crater Lake blaze ... Officials say Zika virus likely will show up in Jackson County ... OUR VIEW Our View: School district quick to address lead test results MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 2, 2016 @ 12:01 am Posted Aug. 2, 2016 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Medford School District officials are responding in exactly the right way after water tests found lead levels above the Environmental Protection Agency's action threshold at two elementary schools and one middle school. Now their task is to work with the Medford Water Commission to fix the problem as quickly as possible, as a new school year is just around the corner. For now, the district has shut off the water supply at Jackson and Roosevelt elementary schools, where Kids Unlimited summer programs are underway, and is supplying bottled water to participants and staff. Tests also found elevated levels at 20 percent of fixtures in McLoughlin Middle School. At Roosevelt, test results received Friday evening showed elevated levels at 80 percent of fixtures, and at Jackson, 70 percent of fixtures were affected. The source of the lead is still a mystery. Jackson and Roosevelt are simultaneously among the oldest and the newest schools in the district. They were first established more than 100 years ago, but were completely rebuilt, with new plumbing, in 2009. Water tests since then, from 2011 to 2015, showed no problems. The Medford Water Commission will take samples at the meters for the schools to test the main supply entering the buildings. If those tests are clean, it would indicate the source is somewhere in the buildings. If not, the source is somewhere in the commission's delivery system. Either way, it's important to note that the EPA action level of 20 parts per billion is not a health-based threshold or evidence that lead poisoning has occurred. It's the level at which the agency requires the school district to take steps to eliminate the problem. Still, health officials take the approach that no level of lead is safe, especially for children. So far, the district is doing everything right: It has shut off water in both buildings where children are present and is actively working to find the source of the contamination and eliminate it. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 2, 2016 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Terms of Service /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501