Drinking Water

DPSCD Hydration Station Infographic

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

Read the full press release »

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

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:

  1. Academy of the Americas Elementary-Middle School
  2. Adult Education- East
  3. Bates Academy
  4. Bennett Elementary-Middle School
  5. Cass Technical High School
  6. Roberto Clemente Elementary
  7. Clippert Elementary Middle School
  8. Coleman Young Elementary School
  9. Davis Aerospace @ Golightly
  10. Dixon Academy
  11. Foreign Language Immersion
  12. Hutchinson @ Howe
  13. Keidan
  14. Noble Elementary-Middle School
  15. Marcus Garvey
  16. Renaissance High School

No elevations detected in latest round of water testing results returned:

  1. Academy of the Americas High School
  2. Adult Education- West
  3. Burns Elementary School
  4. Drew Transition Center
  5. Earhart Elementary-Middle School
  6. Harms Elementary School
  7. Neinas Elementary School
  8. 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

Comments are closed.