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Wayne State students, workers and visitors who sipped from fountains in three buildings drank water with potentially unsafe amounts of lead, the university says.
"The College of Education building and the Meyer L. Prentis Cancer Center were found to have lead levels above the EPA action level in several water fountains," Amanda Rahn reports in The South End student newspaper, referring to the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
The EPA action level for drinking water is 15 parts per billion. The affected fountains ranged in lead quantity from just over 15 ppb to 30 ppb.
That peak level of 30 parts per billion is far below the highest levels found in Flint, which reached 158 parts per billion, a Virginia Tech study showed. Researchers stress that there is no 100 percent "safe" level of lead in drinking water, only acceptable levels.
In an online update, the university identifies a third trouble spot:
The Office of Environmental Health and Safety found three water sources in the Skillman Building (100 E. Palmer) that tested above the EPA’s threshold for lead.
Those water sources include the office sink in room 208, the water fountain located outside of room 208, and the drinking fountain in the basement. All of these sources have been removed from service.
Water from nine other buildings, including one with a childcare center, checked so far is safe, WSU says on a new Campus Water web page.
Tests at 50 other sites will cotinue through June 24, including at Towers Residence Hall, DeRoy Apartments and public use buildings such as the Bonstelle and Hillberry theaters and WSU Stadium.
Adults exposed to lead are at risk of cardiovascular problems, reduced kidney function and reproductive problems, the EPA says. Unlike children, they don't face possible learning impairments or other impacts on the brain.
WSU adds a web page to post building-by-building test redults.
Rahn quotes administrator Michael Wright, a university vice president and chief of staff:
"One-liter samples [will be analyzed] from all the other buildings. Now, because the testing facilities we use don’t have unlimited capacity, they’re prioritizing these based on population and whether children are present. . . .
"We are going to be looking at every bulding.”
At the new web page, WSU posts:
Your safety and peace of mind are our top priorities, we are sharing the details of this plan with you. There will be a full list of campus buildings and corresponding test results available.
The university offers free blood tests at the Campus Health Center for students who drank from the affected fountains, The South End says.
Matthew Miller, a senior accounting major who used fountains at the Prentis Cancer Center, tells the reporter he'll get a blood check. He's quoted as saying:
“I expect better from a prestigious university. I expect them to provide clean water for their students, staff and faculty.
"I’m a strong believer in government institutions, but I think lately they’ve been letting people down.”
