Three sinks and one fountain tested above allowable levels.
Three sinks and one fountain in a Warren County elementary school have failed tests measuring lead in the water.
Lopatcong Township school administrators announced the findings and corrective action in letters to parents Thursday, which have since been posted on the district's website with more information about the tests and the effects of lead.
One letter identifies the affected water sources, three of which are in classrooms. A fourth source -- a kitchen sink intended for food preparation -- has not been used in five years, the letter says.
Students in the impacted classrooms are being provided with bottled water as fixtures are replaced and retested. Sinks in three other classrooms tested just below acceptable levels, but will also have parts replaced as a precaution, the district said.
The middle school was not affected, according to a second letter.
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The federal Environmental Protection Agency says lead at or above 15 parts per billion requires remedial action. The classroom sinks in violation had levels between 25 and 77 parts per billion -- the unused kitchen sink was at 203 parts per billion.
Over time, pipes can be corroded and cause metal to leach into the water, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
Information posted on the school district's website says lead can be dangerous for pregnant women, infants and children under 6, and that it can hurt the brain, kidneys and red blood cell production. However, drinking water is rarely the sole cause of lead poisoning, the document says.
More information from the district is available at www.lopatcongschool.org/mandatory-lead-testing.
Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.