UPTOWN — Courtenay Elementary is now one of 30 CPS schools to test positive for lead since Chicago Public Schools launched district-wide testing in May.
"Any impacted fixtures were turned off, and the district is developing plans to resolve issues concerning each of the fixtures," CPS said.
At Courtenay, 4420 N. Beacon St., samples were taken from 26 sites and four drinking fountains were found to have lead levels above the EPA's action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb). The fountains included two on the second floor, a fountain on the third floor and a fountain in the basement.
"The water from the fountains have been turned off and remediation plans are being created," CPS said in a note to parents.
"Chicago's water supply is free of lead when it leaves the treatment plant. However, lead can be found in some interior plumbing fixtures and material. ... This explains why only four of the samples at Courtenay returned with elevated results — the issue is not system-wide, but is specific to the fixtures or pipes for those fountains," the note said.
As of Tuesday, CPS has test results from 1,704 sinks and drinking fountains from 98 schools. Of those results, 67 fixtures (35 drinking fountains and 32 sinks) or 3.9-percent "have at least one sample with a lead level above the U.S. EPA’s action level," CPS said.
Across Chicago, 30 schools have now tested positive for lead levels exceeding the government's action level. Families at these schools have been notified, CPS said.
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