OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — (Grand Haven Tribune) - The staff and students of Robinson Elementary School are a step closer to having safe running water.
A new water filtration system has been installed and is working as intended at the school in Robinson Township.
Now, private laboratories are testing and analyzing water samples for the next couple of months. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes & Energy and Ottawa County Department of Public Health are supporting it with testing protocols, said Grand Haven Area Public Schools Superintendent Andy Ingall.
Depending on the test results and timing, the school’s staff and students are expected to begin using the water before the end of the school year. The school plans to continue using bottled water until they have confidence in the system.
In October 2018, Robinson Elementary School started using bottled water after the Grand Haven school district was notified the school’s water supply tested higher for the dangerous PFAS chemical compound than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Lifetime Health Advisory level of 70 parts per trillion (ppt). When the district was notified, the water tested at 144 ppt for PFAS.
Since then, the district has worked with the state and local agencies to design and install the new water filtration system.
While the original timeline included getting the system operational by the start of the present second semester, there were scheduling delays. Additionally, much of the work needs to be done while staff and students weren’t on campus.
When the engineering team connected the new water filtration system earlier this month, they faced issues servicing the well pump. Ingall said they discovered that was time to renew the 40-year-old piece of equipment.
Until a new pump is installed, Ingall said engineers did repiping work and adjusted the water flow.
During the school’s upcoming spring break, they plan to drill a new well and install a new pump. Since the pump is considered part of the PFAS projects, the existing grant from the state environmental agency will cover the cost, which is expected to be about $60,000, Ingall said.
Looking ahead, water will also undergo testing at regular intervals.
This story originally appeared on the Grand Haven Tribune.
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