Royal Oak School District’s
Response to Lead Testing Inquiry
(Crystal A. Proxmire, April 27, 2016)
Royal Oak, MI – As they see the images of children in Flint lined up to get bottled water or crying over blood tests, people around the country have been wondering about the safety of the water they and their families use on a day to day basis to cook, clean, bathe and drink. Parents, teachers and advocates have also been calling for testing of the water in schools.
When lead and copper are issues, it is often caused by old pipes or old fixtures. Even when old fixtures are there, corrosion control in the water helps protect users. But testing is the best 
way to know if the protections are working or not.
After learning that Oakland Schools had put out an RFP for water testing, the oc115 contacted school districts from throughout Oakland County to find out where they stand on testing.
Shawn Lewis-Larkin, Superintendent of Royal Oak Schools said “We have a long-standing protocol in place for adding supplemental corrosion control treatment to the water supply as it enters all school buildings. The treatment process is monitored quarterly. We have done periodic water testing in our buildings to confirm the efficacy of the protocol. Typically, this has involved testing three buildings per year on a rotating basis. Given the concerns now raised about water quality, we will be conducting additional water tests in our buildings that were not a part of this year’s rotation. Complete results will be posted on our website – www.royaloakschools.org – when they are available. ”
Royal Oak Schools serve Royal Oak and part of Berkley
To read what other school districts had to say, check out Local Schools Vary on Testing for Lead in Water.
Oakland County Times
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