Lawrence and Morgan parents request chemical testing of tap water in schools

Members of Concerned Citizens of WMEL (West Morgan-East Lawrence) Water Authority are pushing school districts in Morgan and Lawrence Counties to allow independent chemical testing of tap water in their schools.

Even though an EPA advisory about chemicals, PFOS and PFOA has been lifted, parents tell WZDX they want peace of mind that would come with additional testing of direct water sources in the schools.

Community organizer, Sweetie Berry, said the group has not gotten any definitive replies to their requests to test the schools’ tap water.

“My understanding is they are being asked specifically if we may have testing done on their behalf,” Berry said. “We’ve not been told yes or no. But we’ve not been answered either.”

Other members say the group’s attorney, Greg Foster, advised parents to keep their children out of school until independent testing confirms the safety of the tap water.

Beth McCarley, a group member who has been organizing bottled water drives all summer, told our Ben Nandy it is unlikely local parents will follow that advice.

“The best thing we can do now is educate our parents,” McCarley said. “We’re trying to get on-board with the Board of Education, [in the meantime] so we can get the testing done.”

Since May 19 — when the EPA advised levels of PFOA and PFOS were too high in eight North Alabama water systems — the WMEL Water Authority, and various government agencies have been playing catch-up to decontaminate the tap water.

On that day, the EPA told the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) that an acceptable PFOS/PFOA concentration in water had been lowered to 70 parts per trillion, based on studies done mainly on rats.

The WMEL Water Authority began daily blending of its water (about 2.8 million gallons per day) with water from neighboring Decatur Utilities to dilute its water to levels below 70ppt.

The EPA’s advisory was lifted in mid-June after testing revealed the levels of PFOS/PFOA had improved.

Details of how and where the tests were done, weather conditions at the time of testing, and whether lines were flushed before testing have remained unclear.

The apparent lack of clarity has led the community group to request testing at the schools.

Lawrence County Board of Education representative, Christine Garner, reached by phone on Sunday, said she supports the idea of blanket testing of the schools.

“I would support it, but I’m not in full control of anything,” Garner said. “I will talk to the superintendent first thing in the morning, and yes, you can come interview me after.”

Garner, who represents District 1, said she would have attended Sunday’s community meeting had she known about it.

While the standard response from state agencies and officials is that “the advisory has been lifted,” no one has directly declared the water safe.

Some see the careful use of words as a way to give officials wiggle room on the issue.

Attorneys for the WMEL Water Authority and the community group have both told WZDX a direct statement declaring the water safe could come back to haunt those officials politically.

Several parents argued that even if a student tries to avoid using tap water at school, it is difficult.

At East Lawrence High School on Sunday, members of the band and football team said they have been drinking the water at summer practices since the advisory was lifted last month.

Sweetie Berry is also concerned about the high number of students enrolled in federal free-or-reduced lunch programs in Lawrence County.

Berry claims upwards of 70 percent of Lawrence County students are enrolled in such programs.

Berry said since water is often needed to prepare school meals, “we’re in a very dangerous situation if they’re wrong, and the water’s not safe.”

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