• ALSD To Serve As Model District For Local Water Testing


    Schools Will Participate in Voluntary Water Sampling

    ALSD To Serve As Model District For Local Water Testing

    RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. – The Alta Loma School District will soon be among the first districts in the state to have water at its schools sampled as part of a new sampling and testing program initiated by the State Water Resources Control Board.

    The water board is asking all community water systems in California to test school drinking water upon request by the school’s officials.

    The Cucamonga Valley Water District is scheduled to sample water at ALSD school drinking fountains, food preparation areas and other taps and fixtures that are routinely used for water consumption. The sampling guidance is provided by the SWRCB Division of Drinking Water.

    Sampling locations will include drinking fountains, cafeteria and food preparation areas, and reusable water bottle filling stations.

    “While we don’t have concerns about our water because the presence of lead in California’s water infrastructure is minimal compared to other parts of the country, we also believe in being diligent and cautious,” said ALSD Superintendent James Moore. “The health and safety of our children is and always will be our top priority.”

    All school districts throughout California will eventually undergo water testing to ensure drinking fountains and other water sources are flowing with safe drinking water. There are approximately 9,000 K-12 schools in California, most of which are served by more than 3,000 community water systems in the state. While these community water systems extensively and regularly test their drinking water for lead, lead could get into clean water at a school campus if there were corroded pipes or old fixtures at the school.

    Because California has newer infrastructure and less corrosive water than other parts of the country, lead problems at the tap are uncommon. However, national events have highlighted the importance of ongoing water quality monitoring. In 2015, Governor Jerry Brown directed the State Water Board to incorporate schools into the regular water quality testing that community water systems conduct at customer’s taps.