In an email update sent Feb. 3, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Director of Residence Life Deb Boykin ’76 M.Ed. ’82 informed students that after a third round of testing, all water samples from Jefferson Hall had lead levels below the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulatory threshold.
William & Mary’s Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) office has completed the re-testing of water in the residence hall,” Boykin said in an email.
“William & Mary’s Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) office has completed the re-testing of water in the residence hall,” Boykin said in an email. “All of the new samples tested below the EPA Action Level of 0.015 mg/L. The precaution of running the water cold before drinking is no longer necessary.”
Boykin said in her email that the College had tested samples from the second floor kitchen, water foundations and bathroom sinks in addition to the locations that initially had higher lead levels. During the third round of testing, the College tested a total of 28 samples.
Moving forward, the College’s Environmental Health and Safety Office recommended changing out a faucet in the kitchen of the Head Resident who lives on the first floor. Facilities Management, because of this recommendation and because the College also noticed corrosion, will make this replacement.
At no point did the College find lead levels above the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Act, which means that drinking the water posed no risk to students.
In addition, during Jan. 24’s Student Assembly Senate meeting, senators passed the Hydrating Jefferson Act which allocated $150 to purchase water bottles for students living in Jefferson.