2023 Water Testing in GCSD Schools - Guilderland Central Schools

Since 2016, New York state law has required school districts to conduct lead testing of all water outlets used for drinking and cooking every five years. The law was amended in January 2023, reducing the time frame for testing to every three years, unless the state commissioner of health requests individual districts to test sooner. Effective Jan. 1, 2023, the testing deadline for the 2023-2025 compliance period is Dec. 31, 2025.

Additionally, the state’s revised action level of lead in drinking water is 5 parts per billion (ppb), reduced from 15 ppb. School buildings deemed “lead-free” are no longer exempt from testing requirements. Bathroom sinks are no longer required to be tested, where controls (e.g. education and signage) exist to prevent consumption.

In accordance with the law, the Guilderland Central School District chose Intertek-PSI to collect samples throughout all district buildings during the current testing cycle. According to New York state, if the lead level from a tested water outlet exceeds the action level of 5 parts per billion (ppb), the district is required to take steps to prevent the use of the outlet for drinking or cooking purposes until it is remediated and follow-up testing confirms it is no longer above the action level.

School districts are required to report the results of all water testing to staff, students’ families, the state Department of Health, the state Education Department and the local health department, and to post the results — along with remediation plans, if required — on the official district website. At all times, the district will ensure that all students and staff have an adequate supply of water for drinking and cooking.

Per the New York State Department of Health, sampling at outlets where results from previous (2020) compliance testing exceeded 5 ppb should be given priority. To that end, the district posted signage at those 72 outlets. Then the 37 non-bathroom sink outlets were remediated through plumbing upgrades and sampled again. The samples were sent and analyzed by a state-approved laboratory and the district started receiving results on Oct. 5, 2023. For the 17 outlets that had results that didn’t exceed the 5 ppb action level, the signage was removed.

There were 20 outlets with results above 5 ppb. Schools must take steps to prevent the use of the outlet for drinking or cooking purposes until it is remediated and follow-up testing confirms it is no longer above the action level. Signage on those outlets will remain and they will receive another round of remediation to include the installation of filters. Once that round of remediation is complete, follow-up sampling and testing will be done.

Below are the water testing results from October 2023 by building. As remediation is complete, this webpage will be updated.

View the GCSD October 2023 water testing results.

View the GCSD December 2023 water testing resampling results.

For specific water testing questions, contact Superintendent Marie Wiles.

See water test results by school

Altamont Elementary School
Guilderland Elementary School
Lynnwood Elementary School
Pine Bush Elementary School
Westmere Elementary School
Farnsworth Middle School
Guilderland High School

Additional resources

Altamont Elementary School

In 2020, Altamont Elementary School had one sample throughout the building which tested between 5-15 parts per billion (ppb), a water fountain in classroom 403, that was removed. AES did not have any outlets that were tested in October 2023.

Guilderland Elementary School

In 2020, Guilderland Elementary School had 14 outlets which tested between 5-15 parts per billion (ppb). One lavatory sink was exempt and two outlets were removed, resulting in 11 outlets sampled on Oct. 5, 2023, with seven reading above the action level of 5 parts per billion (ppb). These outlets were resampled on Dec. 12, 2023, with one outlet reading above the action level of 5 parts per billion (ppb).

Sink in classroom 106 had an action level of 7 ppb; Remediation performed in 2020: replaced filter-aerator. Resample collected on Dec. 12, 2023 had an action level of 4.3 ppb.
Sink in classroom 504 had an action level of 15.8 ppb; Remediation performed in 2020: replaced filter/shutoff. Resample collected on Dec. 12, 2023 had an action level of < 1.0 ppb.
Sink in classroom 507 had an action level of 6.2 ppb; Remediation performed in 2020: replaced filter-aerator. Resample collected on Dec. 12, 2023 had an action level of 3.8 ppb.
Sink in classroom 604 had an action level of 12.4 ppb; Remediation performed in 2020: replaced shutoff. Resample collected on Dec. 12, 2023 had an action level of 7.0 ppb.
Sink in classroom 603 had an action level of 8.2 ppb; Remediation performed in 2020: replaced shutoff. Resample collected on Dec. 12, 2023 had an action level of <1.0 ppb.
Sink in art room 404 had an action level of 18.9 ppb; Remediation performed in 2020: replaced shutoff, faucet. Resample collected on Dec. 12, 2023 had an action level of <1.0 ppb.
Sink in classroom 506 had an action level of 5.7 ppb; Remediation performed in 2020: replaced shutoff. Resample collected on Dec. 12, 2023 had an action level of <1.0 ppb.

Lynnwood Elementary School

In 2020, Lynnwood Elementary School had 11 outlets which tested between 5-15 parts per billion (ppb). One lavatory sink was exempt and one water fountain sink was removed, resulting in nine outlets sampled on Oct. 5, 2023, with four reading above the action level of 5 parts per billion (ppb). These outlets were resampled on Dec. 12, 2023, with one outlet reading above the action level of 5 parts per billion (ppb).

Sink in classroom 151 had an action level of 6.1 ppb; Remediation performed in 2020: replaced faucet-shutoff. Resample collected on Dec. 12, 2023 had an action level of <1.0 ppb.
Sink in music classroom 129 had an action level of 25 ppb; Remediation performed in 2020: replaced faucet and lines. Resample collected on Dec. 12, 2023 had an action level of 4.2 ppb.
Sink in classroom 406 had an action level of 9.3 ppb; Remediation performed in 2020: replaced faucet. Resample collected on Dec. 12, 2023 had an action level of 10.2 ppb.
Sink in classroom 110 had an action level of 8.6 ppb; Remediation performed in 2020: replaced shut-offs and faucet. Resample collected on Dec. 12, 2023 had an action level of <1.0 ppb.

Pine Bush Elementary School

In 2020, Pine Bush Elementary School had three outlets which tested between 5-15 parts per billion (ppb); three outlets sampled on Oct. 5, 2023, with two reading above the action level of 5 parts per billion (ppb). These outlets were resampled on Dec. 12, 2023, with one outlet reading above the action level of 5 parts per billion (ppb).

Sink in special education classroom 201 had an action level of 5.5 ppb; Remediation performed in 2020: replaced faucet, shut-offs. Resample collected on Dec. 12, 2023 had an action level of 4.0 ppb.
Handwashing sink in back corner of kitchen had an action level of 86.9 ppb; Remediation performed in 2020: sink no longer used. Resample collected on Dec. 12, 2023 had an action level of 58.4 ppb.

Westmere Elementary School

In 2020, Westmere Elementary School had six outlets which tested between 5-15 parts per billion (ppb). One outlet was removed. Five outlets were sampled on Oct. 5, 2023, with two reading above the action level of 5 parts per billion (ppb). These outlets were resampled on Dec. 12, 2023, with one outlet reading above the action level of 5 parts per billion (ppb).

Sink in classroom 125 had an action level of 10.8 ppb; Remediation performed in 2020: new plumbing installed. Resample collected on Dec. 12, 2023 had an action level of 2.7 ppb.
Water fountain in classroom 212 had an action level of 7.7 ppb; Remediation performed in 2020: replaced shut-offs, faucet, drain. Resample collected on Dec. 12, 2023 had an action level of 10.5ppb.

Farnsworth Middle School

In 2020, Farnsworth Middle School had six outlets which tested between 5-15 parts per billion (ppb). Four lavatory sinks were exempt and two outlets were removed. Two outlets were sampled on Oct. 12, 2023, with no outlets reading above the action level of 5 parts per billion (ppb).

Guilderland High School

In 2020, Guilderland High School had 31 outlets which tested between 5-15 parts per billion (ppb). Twenty-five lavatory sinks were exempt and one outlet was removed; two outlets were added, resulting in seven outlets sampled on Oct. 12, 2023, with five outlets reading above the action level of 5 parts per billion (ppb). These outlets were resampled on Dec. 12, 2023, with four outlets reading above the action level of 5 parts per billion (ppb).

Sink in east technology shop 3 (classroom 169) had an action level of 20.3 ppb; Remediation performed in 2020: replaced faucet. Resample collected on Dec. 12, 2023 had an action level of 7.0 ppb.
Sink in east technology shop 3 (classroom 170) had an action level of 13.1 ppb; Remediation performed in 2020: replaced faucet. Resample collected on Dec. 12, 2023 had an action level of 10.6 ppb.
Sink in east technology classroom 170A had an action level of 30.4 ppb; Remediation performed in 2020: none, not identified as 5-15 ppb in 2020, included in 2023 testing due to signage. Resample collected on Dec. 12, 2023 had an action level of 19.4 ppb.
Sink in east technology classroom 170B had an action level of 8.6 ppb; Remediation performed in 2020: none, not identified as 5-15 ppb in 2020, included in 2023 testing due to signage. Resample collected on Dec. 12, 2023 had an action level of 16.6 ppb.
Sink in new cafeteria A (west room 38) had an action level of 15.7 ppb; Remediation performed in 2020: sink not found during remediation. Resample collected on Dec. 12, 2023 had an action level of 4.5 ppb.

If you have any trouble accessing the documents linked from this page, please contact the Communications Office at communications@guilderlandschools.net or 518-456-6200. The FREE Adobe Acrobat Reader can be downloaded here.