Safety Update

Jacques Pourciau, Director of Operations
445 Convention Street
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 

Dear Friends of St. James Episcopal Day School:

St. James Episcopal Early Childcare Development Center recently participated in a Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) voluntary lead testing program to reduce potential exposure to lead in drinking water. We would like to provide an update and share the sampling results.
Because lead is a toxic metal, there is no safe level of lead exposure which is why we are working to identify potential sources of exposure and are communicating actions that have been taken to both reduce lead and protect children and staff. When children and others are exposed to lead it can have adverse health effects. “Exposure” to lead in drinking water means that children or staff consume water that contains lead through drinking or food preparation. 
As part of our program, St. James worked with a LDH contractor to develop a plan to test for lead in drinking water fountains, classroom sinks and other water outlets where students and staff of the ECDC and get water for drinking and cooking. The LDH program lead remediation level in drinking water samples is set at 10 parts per billion (ppb). When a lead sample is detected at or above this level, we take immediate steps to address the source of lead to protect children and staff. 
The sampling results of our program and our next steps are as follow:
•	On Oct. 6, 2022, 22 fixtures were tested throughout the ECDC and the cafeteria. This included drinking water fountains, classroom sinks, bathroom sinks, and all kitchen faucets.
•	Sample results show lead was detected at/above the remediation level in two unused fixtures. For the remaining twenty fixtures, lead was detected below 2.86 ppb. 
•	In response to the sampling results, we are taking immediate action on the two fixtures that showed lead levels above the program remediation level of 10 ppb. Even though these fixtures are not used, they have been disconnected from service. Replacement fixtures are on order and will be scheduled for installation as soon as they are available. 
•	For the 20 fixtures that lead was detected below the remediation level, we are implementing routine flushing to further minimize potential exposure.
You can view the detailed sample results on the following pages. Protecting the health and wellbeing of your child(ren) is our top priority and we are committed to keeping you informed every step of the way as we implement our program at St. James Episcopal Day School and Early Childcare Development Center.
Sincerely,
Jacques Pourciau
Director of Operations

Click HERE for the detailed results.

Click HERE for the updated results after replacing the faucets.