Long-term Drinking Water Solution
October 9, 2018
DPSCD Announces Hydration Stations: Long-term Drinking Water Solution for All Schools with Philanthropic Support
District to begin implementation immediately with completion by summer 2019
Please find collaborative information from the Detroit Health Department and the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department below:
Detroit Health Department Statement
- The Detroit Health Department recommends that all children in Detroit under the age of 6 be tested for lead every year. The Detroit Health Department provides free lead testing for all Detroit students at its Samaritan Center Clinic at 5555 Conner, Detroit, Michigan, 48213. Call 313-410-8142 to make an appointment or visit www.detroitmi.gov/health.
List of Donors Announced October 9, 2018 and Call to Action: Donate Today
United Way for Southeastern Michigan is committed to support the effort of raising money for hydration stations and other associated costs. United Way for Southeastern Michigan pledged $500,000 to fund the installation of the water filtration systems in Detroit schools. But we, and the students, need your help. Support safe drinking water by making a donation to the United Way Water Relief Fund, benefiting the Detroit Public Schools Foundation at https://unitedwaysem.org/detroit-public-schools-water-fund/
Hydration Station Donor Quotes
Organization | Donation |
Quicken | $500,000 |
United Way for Southeastern Michigan | $500,000 w/ $500K match |
Delta Dental Foundation | $300,000 |
DTE Foundation | $300,000 |
GM | $200,000 |
Ford Motor Company Fund | $200,000 |
FCA Foundation | $100,000 |
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan/Blue Care Network | $100,000 |
Ascension Michigan | $50,000 |
HAP/HFHS | $50,000 |
DMC | $50,000 |
The Jewish Fund | $25,000 |
Anonymous until approved | $10,000 |
History: Overview
Superintendent Vitti initiated water testing of all of our school buildings during the spring to ensure the safety of our students and employees. This was not required by federal, state, or city law or mandate. This testing, unlike the previous testing, evaluated all water sources from sinks to drinking fountains.
On Aug. 24, results were returned for 24 schools and higher than acceptable levels were identified for copper and/or lead in 16 schools at one or more water sources. The District immediately turned off the drinking water at those schools and provided water bottles until water coolers arrived.
When Dr. Vitti started as superintendent last year, he was notified that 10 schools were using a DiHydro filtration system. He made the decision to shut off all drinking fountains and provide bottled water and water coolers to those schools at that time because of concerns with water quality despite the intervention. The latest water results (16 schools), coupled with those from 2016 (10 DiHydro schools) and follow up results in the spring of 2018 for schools identified with concerns in 2016 (8 schools) in the spring, brings the total number of schools with water quality issues to 34.
Although we have no evidence that there are elevated levels of copper or lead in our other schools (over 50) where we are awaiting test results, out of an abundance of caution and concern for the safety of our students and employees, Dr. Vitti instructed to turn off all drinking water in our schools until a deeper and broader analysis can be conducted to determine the long-term solutions for all schools.
Dr. Vitti communicated this decision to the Mayor’s Office and the Mayor and his team are supportive of the decision. The Mayor’s Office plans to partner with us to determine challenges with water quality in our schools and solutions to them.
We have communicated our decision to staff and families and will continue to communicate when students return to school.
Updated Statement: September 19, 2018
As you are aware, the District initiated water testing of all Detroit Public Schools Community District school buildings during the latter part of last school year to ensure the safety of our students and employees. This was not required by federal, state, or city law. This testing, unlike the previous testing in 2016, evaluated all water sources from sinks to drinking fountains. When the first round of results indicated 16 of 24 schools had high elevations of lead and/or copper, we turned all drinking water off in schools and provided bottled water and water coolers.
We received the latest round of testing results, which follow the same pattern as the first round. 33 of 52 schools have elevated levels of copper and/or lead. This means, to date, that 57 of 86 schools where test results have been provided, elevated levels of copper and/or lead were identified (this does not include the previous 10 Di-Hydro schools where copper and/or lead was detected).We are still awaiting results for seventeen schools (A.L. Holmes, Catherine Ferguson, Palmer Park, Davison, Fisher Upper/Lower, Pershing) and the original 10 Di-Hydro schools. Staff have been informed of the results and the same will occur for families and students through an automated call home and a backpack letter home.
Moving forward we will continue to use water coolers districtwide and are actively working through the bid processes to make a recommendation to the board for the use of hydration stations. This will occur within the next couple of weeks. The hydration stations would be installed in all schools by beginning of next school year districtwide and replace the need for water coolers. A hydration station would be placed in a school for every 100 students, in addition to one in the kitchen, faculty lounge, and gym. Additional stations would be installed after the first year of implementation if consistent access is a challenge based on the configuration of the school’s building.
Water test results are posted below.
Resources
- Detroit Health Department Statement
- Detroit Water and Sewerage Dept Director Gary Brown Statement
- FAQ – DPSCD Water Test Update
- Detroit Free Press – Not just Detroit: Lead in drinking water plagues schools nationwide
- Letter from Superintendent Vitti: First Day of School 09.04.18_ENGLISH
- Letter from Superintendent Vitti: First Day of School 09.04.18_SPANISH
- Letter from Superintendent Vitti: First Day of School 09.04.18_ ARABIC
- Letter from Superintendent Vitti: First Day of School 09.04.18_BENGAL
- Water Quality, Affordability and Accessibility House Bills
- To learn more about the Water Hydration Station solution referenced in the Engagement meetings and Dr. Vitti’s letter, download the Bottle Filler Station Information Sheet
Below is a list of the 52 schools where water tests have been recently returned. In addition is a list of schools where previous test results were released followed by the results of schools with elevations.
Most Recent Round of Test Results (33 of 52)
No. | School Name |
Exceedance for Lead or Copper |
1 | Ann Arbor Trail Magnet School |
Yes |
2 | Bagley Elementary School |
Yes |
3 | Bethune Elementary-Middle School |
Yes |
4 | Blackwell Institute, Catherine C |
No |
5 | Brenda Scott |
No |
6 | Brewer |
Yes |
7 | Carleton Elementary School |
Yes |
8 | Central High School/Durfee ES/MS |
No |
9 | Chrysler Elementary School |
Yes |
10 | Cody High School |
Yes |
11 | Communication & Media Arts High School |
No |
12 | Cooke Elementary School , STEM Academy |
No |
13 | Davis Aerospace HS at Golightly |
Yes |
14 | Denby |
Yes |
15 | Detroit International Academy for Young Women |
Yes |
16 | Detroit School of Arts (DSA) |
No |
17 | Dossin Elementary/Middle School |
No |
18 | Douglass Academy for Young Men |
Yes |
19 | Duke Ellington @ Beckham |
No |
20 | East English Village/Diann Banks Williams |
No |
21 | Emerson Elementary/Middle School |
Yes |
22 | Fleming |
Yes |
23 | Gardner Elementary |
Yes |
24 | Golightly Educational Center |
Yes |
25 | Gompers, Samuel L. Elementary/Middle School |
No |
26 | Greenfield Union Elementary/Middle School |
Yes |
27 | Henderson, Erma Academy |
Yes |
28 | Henry Ford High School/Turning Point |
No |
29 | King, Martin Luther Jr. Senior High School |
No |
30 | Law |
Yes |
31 | Mackenzie Elementary/Middle School |
No |
32 | Mann Elementary School |
Yes |
33 | Marquette Elementary/Middle School |
Yes |
34 | Mason Elementary/Middle School |
yes |
35 | Mumford High School |
Yes |
36 | Munger Elementary/Middle School |
No |
37 | Nichols Academy |
Yes |
38 | Nolan |
Yes |
39 | Osborn |
Yes |
40 | Pasteur Elementary School |
Yes |
41 | Priest |
No |
42 | Pulaski |
Yes |
43 | Randolph Career Academy – Construction Trades |
Yes |
44 | Robeson, Paul / Malcolm X Academy (at Hally) |
No |
45 | Schulze Elementary/Middle School |
No |
46 | Southeastern High School |
Yes |
47 | Speech & Hearing – (Day School for Deaf) |
Yes |
48 | Twain, Mark Academy |
Yes |
49 | West Side Academy |
Yes |
50 | Western International High School |
Yes |
51 | White |
No |
52 | Wright, Charles Lower Academy |
Yes |
Previously Released Test Results
School Name |
Exceedance for Lead or Copper |
Academy of the Americas Elementary-Middle School |
Yes |
Academy of the Americas High School |
No |
Adult Education- East |
Yes |
Adult Education- West |
No |
Bates Academy |
Yes |
Bennett Elementary-Middle School |
Yes |
Burns Elementary School |
No |
Cass Technical High School |
Yes |
Roberto Clemente Elementary |
Yes |
Clippert Elementary Middle School |
Yes |
Coleman Young Elementary School |
Yes |
Davis Aerospace @ Golightly |
Yes |
Dixon Academy |
Yes |
Drew Trainable Center |
No |
Earhart Elementary-Middle School |
No |
Foreign Language Immersion |
Yes |
Harms Elementary School |
No |
Hutchinson @ Howe |
Yes |
Keidan |
Yes |
Neinas Elementary School |
No |
Noble Elementary-Middle School |
Yes |
Marcus Garvey |
Yes |
Maybury Elementary School |
No |
Renaissance High School |
Yes |
Burton International |
Yes |
Bow Elementary-Middle School |
Yes |
Carstens Elementary-Middle School |
Yes |
Carver STEM |
Yes |
Clark Elementary-Middle School |
Yes |
Detroit Lions Academy |
Yes |
Ludington Magnet Middle School |
No |
Ronald Brown Academy |
No |
Sampson-Webber Academy |
Yes |
Spain Elementary-Middle School |
Yes |
Below are the first round of test results and the 24 schools tested :
Schools with isolated water sources with elevated levels detected in latest round of water testing:
- Academy of the Americas Elementary-Middle School
- Adult Education- East
- Bates Academy
- Bennett Elementary-Middle School
- Cass Technical High School
- Roberto Clemente Elementary
- Clippert Elementary Middle School
- Coleman Young Elementary School
- Davis Aerospace @ Golightly
- Dixon Academy
- Foreign Language Immersion
- Hutchinson @ Howe
- Keidan
- Noble Elementary-Middle School
- Marcus Garvey
- Renaissance High School
No elevations detected in latest round of water testing results returned:
- Academy of the Americas High School
- Adult Education- West
- Burns Elementary School
- Drew Transition Center
- Earhart Elementary-Middle School
- Harms Elementary School
- Neinas Elementary School
- Maybury Elementary School
DPSCD Engagement Sessions
DATE | TIME | LOCATION | ADDRESS |
Monday, September 10 | 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. | Mumford High School | 17525 Wyoming Street |
Wednesday, September 12 | 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. | East English Village Preparatory Academy | 5020 Cadieux |
Monday, September 17 | 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. | Western International High School | 1500 Scotten Street |
Tuesday, September 18 | 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. | Benjamin Carson High School of Science and Medicine | 571 Mack Ave |
DPSCD Engagement Sessions Flyer – ENGLISH AND SPANISH
Engagement Session Presentation – Water Testing Timeline
Drinking Water Results Reports 2018
- Drinking Water Report – Adult West
- Drinking Water Report – AotA HS
- Drinking Water Report – AotA-ES-MS
- Drinking Water Report – Ann Arbor Trail
- Drinking Water Report-Bagley
- Drinking Water Report – Bates
- Drinking Water Report – Bennett
- Drinking Water Report-Bethune
- Drinking Water Report- Brewer
- Drinking Water Report – Burns
- Drinking Water Report-Carleton
- Drinking Water Report – Cass Tech
- Drinking Water Report- Chrysler Elementary
- Drinking Water Report – Clemente
- Drinking Water Report – Clippert
- Drinking Water Report-Cody
- Drinking Water Report-Davis
- Drinking Water Report-Denby
- Drinking Water Report-DIAYW
- Drinking Water Report- Douglas
- Drinking Water Report – Drew
- Drinking Water Report – Earhart
- Drinking Water Report-Emerson
- Drinking Water Report- Fleming
- Drinking Water Report – FLICS
- Drinking Water Report-Gardner
- Drinking Water Report – Garvey
- Drinking Water Report-Golightly
- Drinking Water Report- Greenfield Union
- Drinking Water Report – Harms
- Drinking Water Report-Henderson
- Drinking Water Report – Hutchinson
- Drinking Water Report-Law
- Drinking Water Report-Mann
- Drinking Water Report-Marquette
- Drinking Water Report-Mason
- Drinking Water Report-Mumford
- Drinking Water Report- Nichols
- Drinking Water Report-Nolan
- Drinking Water Report-Osborn
- Drinking Water Report-Pasteur
- Drinking Water Report-Pulaski
- Drinking Water Report-Randolph Career Academy
- Drinking Water Report- Southeastern
- Drinking Water Report-Speech and Hearing
- Drinking Water Report-Mark Twain
- Drinking Water Report-Westside Academy
- Drinking Water Report- Western
- Drinking Water Report-Wright
- Drinking Water Report – Young Coleman