Vermont to test more schools for chemicals in water

MONTPELIER, Vt. – State environmental officials plan to test the drinking water at more schools after an initial round of testing found unsafe chemical levels at two schools.

Last week, the state health department recommended that all schools test their water for lead. Now, the Department of Environmental Conservation said it is looking at a list of about 25 schools to figure out which should be in line for testing for chemicals known by the acronym PFAS. The state recently tested 10 schools for the chemicals and found that both Grafton Elementary School and Warren Elementary School had levels above the state’s safe drinking standard.

Chuck Schwer, waste management director at the conservation department, told Vermont Public Radio that he hopes the next round of testing will happen by January.

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Information from: WVPS-FM, http://www.vpr.net