West Orange Universal Pre-K

Temple B'nai Abraham is proud to be a provider for West Orange Public Schools' Universal Pre-K, part of the district's Early Childhood Education Program.  

As required, here are the results of our testing protocol for lead in our drinking water:

Temple B’nai Abraham
Facilities Department

June 2024

Dear West Orange Universal Pre-K community,

Temple B’nai Abraham is committed to protecting the health of our students, teachers, and staff. To protect our community and comply with Department of Education regulations, we have tested our drinking water for lead in 15 locations around the building.

Following instructions given in technical guidance developed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, we completed a plumbing profile for our building. We identified and tested 15 separate drinking water and food preparation outlets and we had zero samples that exceeded 15 ug/L (parts per billion) for lead levels.

If Temple B’nai Abraham ever finds any drinking water outlet with a result greater than the action level of 15 parts per billion, we will implement immediate remedial measures. This includes turning off the outlet unless it is determined the location must remain on for non-drinking purposes; in these cases, a “do not drink-safe for hand washing only” sign will be posted.

Health effects of lead

High levels of lead in drinking water can cause health problems. Lead is most dangerous for pregnant women, infants, and children under six years of age. It can cause damage to the brain and kidneys and can interfere with the production of red blood cells that carry oxygen to all parts of the body. Exposure to high levels of lead during pregnancy contributes to low birth weight and developmental delays in infants and young children. Lead exposure can lower IQ levels, affect hearing, reduce attention span, and hurt school performance. At very high levels, lead can even cause brain damage. Adults with kidney problems and high blood pressure can be affected by low levels of lead more than healthy adults.

How lead enters our water

Lead is unusual among drinking water contaminants in that it seldom occurs naturally in water supplies like ground waters, rivers, and lakes lead enters drinking water primarily as a result of course the corrosion or wearing away of materials containing lead in the water distribution system and in building plumbing; these materials include lead-based solder used to join copper pipe, brass, and chrome plated brass faucets. In 1986 Congress banned the use of lead solder containing great greater than .2% lead and restricted the lead content of faucets, pipes, and other plumbing materials. However, even lead in plumbing materials meeting these new requirements is subject to corrosion. When water stands in lead pipes or plumbing systems containing lead for several hours or more the lead may dissolve into the drinking water. This means the first water drawn from the tap in the morning may contain fairly high levels of lead.

Lead in drinking water

Lead in drinking water, although rarely the sole cause of lead poisoning, can significantly increase a person's total lead exposure, particularly the exposure of children under the age of six. EPA estimates that drinking water can make up 20% or more of a person's total exposure to lead.

For more information

A copy of the test results is available in our office for inspection by the public including students, parents, teachers, or other school personnel; it can be viewed during regular business hours. For more information about water quality in our building, contact Tracey Bent, Director of Facilities and Technology, at 973-994-2290.

For more information on reducing lead exposure around your home and the health effects of lead visit EPA's website at EPA.Gov/lead, call the National Lead Information Center at 800-424-LEAD or contact your health provider. If you are concerned about lead exposure at this facility or in your home, you may want to ask your healthcare provider about testing children to determine levels of lead in their blood.

Thank you,

Tracey Bent
Director of Facilities and Technology
Temple B’nai Abraham

Deborah Aronson Ziering
Director of Early Childhood Education
Temple B’nai Abraham