Lead detected in water fountains of two more buildings on UNC-Chapel Hill campus
Detectable levels of lead have been found in water fountains in two additional buildings at UNC-Chapel Hill, according to a campus message posted online Monday.
The university’s Department of Environment, Health and Safety on Monday sent notifications of lead being detected to occupants of Carrington Hall, which houses the School of Nursing, and Isaac M. Taylor Hall, which houses the School of Medicine.
In Taylor Hall, lead was detected in two drinking fountains. In one of the fountains, the level of lead was 138 parts per billion (ppb) — about nine times higher than the Environmental Protection Agency’s minimum threshold at which public water systems are required to deliver education materials and take action to reduce the concentration of lead in the water. This is not Taylor residence hall.
In Carrington Hall, lead was detected in eight drinking fountains throughout the building, with one test returning a lead level of 81 ppb.
Lead found in 8 total buildings
Lead has now been found in eight total campus buildings since late August. The university previously announced that lead had been detected in water fountains and sinks in Wilson Library, South Building, Phillips Hall, Manning Hall, Hamilton Hall and Fordham Hall.
EHS said in its campus message Monday that there is an “ongoing investigation” into the issue.
In an update posted to the department’s online dashboard Tuesday, EHS said the department will continue testing campus water fixtures in phases, with testing “expected to last multiple weeks.”
“Phase one focused on water fixtures that potentially contain lead components based on their age,” the update reads. “Phase two will focus on buildings that were built prior to 1930. Phase three will focus on buildings that were built prior to 1990.”
Lead, even at low levels of exposure and ingestion, is known to cause adverse health effects, especially in children and pregnant women. In adults, the EPA says, lead exposure can lead to cardiovascular effects, increased blood pressure, hypertension, decreased kidney function and reproductive problems in both men and women.
In the department’s Tuesday update, EHS said the university “has health testing for lead available to all UNC-Chapel Hill faculty, staff and students who work or study in the affected buildings.” The testing is being made available at no charge to students, post-doctoral fellows, faculty or staff, the update said.
How to get tested
To access health testing, students and post-doctoral fellows are instructed to contact UNC Campus Health at 919-966-2281. Appointments are generally available within one to two days, with test results being available in students’ Healthy Heels portals around two to three days after the test is performed, the dashboard says.
Faculty and staff seeking health testing should contact the University Employee Occupational Health Clinic by phone at 919-966-9119. Appointments are generally available within two to three days, and test results have a turnaround time of two to three days, the dashboard says.
Non-student and non-employee community members and visitors who have health concerns are instructed to consult with their physicians.
Additional information from EHS about health testing and the department’s investigation can be found at ehs.unc.edu/topics/campus-drinking-water.
This story was originally published September 27, 2022 at 12:29 PM.
