The Los Angeles Unified School District is dedicated to maintaining a safe and healthy learning environment for students and staff.

In 2008, the District invested in a significant effort to sample all drinking and cooking water outlets at all school sites to determine if the lead levels exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) action level of 20 parts per billion (ppb) after flushing.

Each outlet was sampled twice-first at an initial draw and then at a second draw after flushing for 30 seconds. Drinking water sources with sample results that exceeded 15 ppb of lead on the second draw were shut off until corrective actions were implemented.

The District also implemented a policy on the daily flushing of drinking fountains and faucets (Reference Guide 3930.4 Daily Flushing Requirements for Drinking Fountains and Faucets) which required that site administrators certify every month that they have met the daily flushing requirements. This policy applied to all active drinking water sources regardless of whether the initial or second draw results were under the District’s action level of 15 ppb.

The objective of the 2015 Drinking Water Quality Program is to manage the drinking water quality in schools and eliminate the flushing certification requirement. Maintenance and Operations staff will survey and sample drinking water outlets at all school sites and take corrective action if needed. The program will also include periodic testing in each school and reporting of results.

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