K-12 schools continue to struggle for leadership in plumbing systems

High levels of lead were found in at least one fixture in 75 percent of Buffalo Public Schools’ 61 schools. 2 January 2025

The potential health risks that maintenance and engineering managers must deal with in elementary schools go far beyond the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. Managers must also deal with legionella – the cause of Legionnaires’ disease – and asbestos, which are present in plant systems and materials. Another threat that has existed for decades—lead in plumbing systems and components—continues to create challenges for managers and dangers for employees and students.

For example, Buffalo Public Schools’ challenge to address lead poisoning in children includes cleaning contaminated water sources in their facilities.

Lead in school water is not the result of lead pipes leading from streets or in buildings, but from plumbing fixtures, school officials said. Testing conducted in 2022 and 2023 revealed 237 fixtures, including water fountains, with lead levels above current state limits, according to Survey record. Lead-contaminated water fountains and cafeteria fixtures — 34 fountains and 19 kitchen and cafeteria faucets and boilers — have been replaced throughout the district over the past few years, school officials said.

In Oakland, Calif., Oakland Unified School District officials are facing financial issues in their efforts to grapple with the lead crisis — specifically, how to fix and pay for a lead crisis that could cost tens of millions of dollars, according to Oaklandside.

They must pay for unforeseen costs of ameliorating the lead crisis, providing clean water for students and staff, and continuing routine water testing. They must decide whether the funding will come from the district’s general or deferred maintenance funds, capital bonds, state and federal grants, philanthropy, or a combination of these sources.

The district has spent nearly $650,000 to provide filtered water stations and reusable water bottles for students and staff while water fixtures are repaired. Maintaining those water stations and ensuring schools have more stations on each campus could cost an additional $1.5 million.

Dan Hounsell is senior editor for the facilities market. He has more than 30 years of experience writing about plant maintenance, engineering and management.

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