Dear Chief Nicole Milberg and Principal Diana T Racasi,
At CPS, our top priority is ensuring the health and safety of our students and staff, and we take a proactive approach to maintaining safe drinking water in our schools. Lead can be found in pipes, faucets, and interior plumbing fixtures and materials and we believe routine water testing is an important and necessary action to ensure the safety of our drinking water.
Per the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) guidance on lead in drinking water, lead concentrations in drinking water should not exceed 15 parts per billion (ppb). While no action is required by the EPA if a water source produces a sample that reads below 15 ppb, out of an abundance of caution the district will address any fixture that produces a reading at or above 5 ppb.
We tested 4 water sources at Pulaski International School of Chicago, and all samples were below the EPA’s action level. The following are the results:
- 4 location(s) had water samples below 5 ppb
- 0 location(s) had water samples between 5 ppb and 14.99
- 0 locations had water samples above 15 ppb
To ensure you have the necessary support to share this news with your school community, attached is the following:
- A note for parents from CEO Dr. Janice K. Jackson and Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady
- For parents concerned about testing water levels at home, they can request a water test kit from the Department of Water Management: www.chicagowaterquality.org
- An FAQ about CPS’ lead testing procedures that you can use to educate your staff and LSC
In addition, test results will be available on cps.edu/waterqualitytesting. This link will be referenced in the parent letter, and you may also want to consider placing it on your school’s homepage to answer any questions your community may have.
If you have any questions related to repair or restoration of these fixtures, please contact Rob Christlieb (rmchristlieb1@cps.edu or 773‐553‐3197).
Sincerely,
Clarence Carson
Chief of Facilities, Chicago Public Schools
Dear Pulaski International School of Chicago Parents and Families,
Our top priority is ensuring the health and safety of our students and staff, and we take a proactive approach to maintaining safe drinking water in our schools. Lead can be found in pipes, faucets, and interior plumbing fixtures and materials and we believe routine water testing is an important and necessary action to ensure the safety of our drinking water.
On July 31, 2020, we tested water samples from 4 sources in your school and did not find any water samples above the Environmental Protection Agency’s action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb). Here are the results:
- 4 location(s) had water samples below 5 ppb
- 0 location(s) had water samples between 5 ppb and 14.99
- 0 locations had water samples above 15 ppb
While no action is required by the EPA if a water source produces a sample that reads below 15 ppb, out of an abundance of caution the district will address any fixture that produces a reading at or above 5 ppb. Any inoperable fixtures have also been removed or repaired.
The full results of your school’s water samples can be found online at cps.edu/waterqualitytesting.
Federal guidance indicates that children under the age of six are at the highest risk for harmful lead exposure, and they can be exposed to lead from a variety of sources, including paint, soil, and even some consumer products. If you are concerned about your child’s possible lead exposure risks, the
Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) recommends contacting your pediatrician or one of the local health care providers listed in the attachment to have your child tested.
If you have any other health‐related questions or concerns, CDPH’s lead hotline (312‐747‐5323) can help you determine whether your child should be tested for lead. Additional information is also available at the Centers for Disease Control’s website at www.cdc.gov/lead.
Sincerely,
Janice K. Jackson, EdD
Chief Executive Officer Commissioner, Chicago Public Schools
Dr. Allison Arwady
Chicago Department of Public Health
Estimados padres y familias de la Escuela Internacional Pulaski de Chicago:
Nuestra máxima prioridad es garantizar la salud y la seguridad de nuestros estudiantes y personal, y adoptamos un enfoque proactivo para mantener de manera segura el agua potable en nuestras escuelas. El plomo se puede encontrar en las tuberías, los grifos y los accesorios y materiales interiores de plomería. Por lo tanto, creemos que las pruebas de agua rutinaria son una acción importante y necesaria para garantizar la seguridad de nuestra agua potable.
El 31 de julio de 2020, examinamos muestras de agua de 4 fuentes en su escuela, y no descubrimos ninguna muestra de agua por encima del nivel de acción de la Agencia de Protección Ambiental (Environmental Protection Agency, EPA) de 15 partes por mil millones (ppb). A lo siguente estan los resultados:
- 4 sitio(s) tenía(n) muestras de agua por debajo de 5 ppb
- 0 sitio(s) tenía(n) muestras de agua entre 5 y 14.99 ppb
- 0 sitio(s) tenía(n) muestras de agua por encima de 15 ppb
Aunque la EPA no requiera ninguna acción si una fuente de agua produce una muestra por debajo de 15 ppb, como medida de precaución, el distrito abordará cualquier accesorio que tenga un valor de plomo de o por encima de 5 ppb. En la escuela, no se encontraron ningún accesorio que tuviera un valor de plomo de o por encima de 5 ppb, y todos los accesorios inoperables también han sido removidos o reparados.
Puede encontrar los resultados completos de las muestras de agua de su escuela en el sitio web cps.edu/waterqualitytesting.
La guía federal indica que los niños menores de seis años tienen mayor riesgo de exposición dañina al plomo, y pueden estar expuestos al plomo de una variedad de fuentes. La fuente de exposición al plomo más común es la pintura con plomo o el polvo, así como también, el suelo, el agua e incluso algunos productos de consumo. Si le preocupa que su hijo pueda tener posibles riesgos de exposición al plomo, el Departamento de Salud Pública de Chicago (Chicago Department of Public Health, CDPH) recomienda que consulte con su pediatra o con uno de los proveedores locales de atención médica enumerados en el adjunto para que se entere si es necesario que su hijo reciba un examen médico.
Si tiene alguna otra pregunta o inquietud relacionada con la salud, la línea directa de plomo de CDPH (312‐747‐5323) puede ayudarlo a determinar si su hijo debe someterse a una prueba de detección de plomo. También puede encontrar información adicional en el sitio web de los Centros para el Control de Enfermedades (Centers for Disease Control) en www.cdc.gov/lead.
Cordialmente,
Janice K. Jackson, EdD Dra. Allison Arwady
Directora Ejecutiva Comisionada
Escuelas Públicas de Chicago Departamento de Salud Pública de Chicago