Drinking Water Safety at Birmingham Public Schools

The latest testing of water at Birmingham Public Schools was completed in December of 2018. For 2018 the district continued to employ TRACE Analytical to secure water samples at each of our district buildings. All sampling is done in accordance with the recommendations/guidelines as provided in the MDEQ guidance document. All testing is done in a State of Michigan certified testing laboratory. The sampling results are available below.

Bottle Fillers

We encourage students to bring their own water bottles and use these stations to meet their drinking water needs while they are at school. Taps that are not designated for drinking water should be used for handwashing and other non-potable uses only and are being marked accordingly.

We are making this change out of an abundance of caution and to take full advantage of the new equipment that is available to our district. Most plumbing materials contain lead and can release lead sporadically. By relying on these new stations, the risk of exposure to lead in drinking water is essentially eliminated. BPS maintains a regular filter cartridge replacement program, and each of the units has a flow indicator showing when the filter cartridge must be changed. BPS will continue to sample designated drinking water points periodically to verify that the filters are performing as intended.  We will make the data available to BPS families.

2018 Lead and Copper Testing

Under the recommendations made to schools in August of 2016 by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), the Birmingham Public Schools (BPS) decided on a plan to test water sources in all of our buildings .Although the recommendations, as published, indicate the testing of “each tap or fixture providing water for drinking or for food preparation,” BPS has elected to test additional water sources, above and beyond this intent including fixtures such bathroom sinks where students may fill a bottle.

The MDEQ publication of August 2016 also changed, as well as added, to the standard water testing criteria by lowering the lead content and adding a copper test.

• The lead action level in water is 0.015 milligrams per liter (also known as 15 parts per billion).  However, the action level for lead is not a health standard. For this reason, the MDEQ is recommending that schools take action to lower the lead in their drinking water if the test results are over 5 ppb, which is the bottled water standard. Prior to this publication the recommended level was 0.02 mg/L (20 ppb).
• The copper action level is 1.3 mg/L (1,300 ppb).  Prior to this publication there was no recommendation for the testing of copper levels in water.

The August 1, 2016 memo from the MDEQ is linked here:

MDEQ Guidance on Drinking Water Sampling for Lead and Copper at Schools and Daycares on Community Water Supplies.

As testing results are returned to the district we are addressing issues and concern areas with each building individually. The district is notifying parents directly via each school and through the BPS Office of Communications and Family Engagement. Results for each building will also be posted here.

Annex at Seaholm High School

• District Fixture Report 2018 updated 8-30-18
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report 8-29-18

Birmingham Covington School (BCS)

• District Fixture Report 2018 Updated 11-5-18
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report 8-29-18
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report 11-5-18

Berkshire Middle School

• District Fixture Report 2018 updated 8-30-18
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report 8-29-18
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report 11-5-18

Beverly Elementary

• District Fixture Report 2018
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report 
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report 1

Bingham Farms Elementary

• District Fixture Report 2018 updated 12-17-18
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report 8-29-18
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report 11-5-18
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report 12-14-18

Derby Middle School

• District Fixture Report 2018 updated 8-30-18
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report 8-29-18

Greenfield Elementary School

• District Fixture Report 2018 updated 8-30-18
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report 1
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report 8-29-18

Groves High School & Education and Administration Center (EAC)

• District Fixture Report 2018 updated 12-17-18
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report 8-29-18
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report 12-14-18

Harlan Elementary

• District Fixture Report 2018 updated 8-30-18
• TRACE Analytical Lab Report
• TRACE Analytical Lab Report 8-29-18

Midvale Center

• District Fixture Report 2018 Updated 11-5-18
• TRACE Analytical Lab Report
• TRACE Analytical Lab Report 8-29-18
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report 11-5-18

Operations Building, Transportation & Food Service Building

• District Fixture Report 2018
• TRACE Analytical Lab Report

Pembroke Elementary

• District Fixture Report 2018 updated 8-30-18
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report 8-29-18

Pierce Elementary

• District Fixture Report 2018 updated 11-5-18
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report 8-29-18
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report 11-5-18

Quarton Elementary

• District Fixture Report 2018 updated 11-5-18
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report 8-29-18
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report 8-29-18 

Seaholm High School

• District Fixture Report 2018 updated 11-5-18
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report 8-29-18
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report 11-5-18

West Maple Elementary

• District Fixture Report 2018 updated 11-5-18
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report 8-29-18
• TRACE Analytical Labs Report 11-5-18