San Martin/Gwinn Elementary School joined the ranks of bottled
water users Thursday after its water was found to have levels of
the chemical perchlorate of 7 parts per billion – 3 ppb above the
acceptable state standard.
San Martin/Gwinn Elementary School joined the ranks of bottled water users Thursday after its water was found to have levels of the chemical perchlorate of 7 parts per billion – 3 ppb above the acceptable state standard.
Principal P.J. Foehr sent a letter home announcing that on Wednesday the school received verbal notification that the wells from which the school gets its water tested positive. San Martin/Gwinn’s drinking fountains were immediately shut off and bottled water was delivered to the school Thursday morning for use by students and staff.
While other wells in the area, including those of the West San Martin Water Works – west of Monterey Road – had tested positive recently, those of the San Martin Water Company District – east of Monterey Road – had not, at least since August, 2002 when it came in at 5.2 ppb.
Two more tests were non-detect, according to Peter Forest, the company’s manager.
San Martin/Gwinn Elementary School gets its water from the SMWCD.
Foehr assured parents that the fountains would remain shut off until the district is notified that the levels of perchlorate has fallen to within non-detect levels.
The non-detect level was a point of discussion at a Wednesday night meeting at the school between county, state and federal agencies dealing with the problem and residents whose water is contaminated. It turns out that non-detect, according to water district officials, is below 4 ppb, and does not necessarily mean 0 ppb. Officials also said that the California state standard threred – possibly to 1 ppb as it is in New Mexico, Maryland and Massachusetts.
The level at which perchlorate ingestion in humans becomes dangerous has not been discovered. Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, the Santa Clara County health officer, said infants and developing fetuses are the most susceptible and pregnant and breastfeeding women should drink bottled water.
A second informational meeting has been tentatively scheduled for mid-April, by which time when the water district is expected to have collected results from all 800 well tests.
