Buildings & Grounds

On July 13, 2016, the State Board of Education adopted regulations at N.J.A.C. 6A:26-12.4 Safe drinking water regarding the testing for lead in drinking water in public schools throughout New Jersey. The regulations were amended and readopted in August 2020. The amendment requires all covered entities to test for lead in drinking water every three years beginning with the 2021-2022 school year resulting in all covered entities being on the same testing cycle. The lead testing in school drinking water cycle runs from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2025.

The Karl Environmental Group tested the eligible water outlets (sinks, water fountains and bubblers) at its school facility at 7 Finderne Avenue, Bridgewater, NJ 08807 in September 2025.  The results of that testing follow.

Samples were drawn from 29 cold water outlets at the school.  The water was undisturbed from 9:00 PM on 09/29/2025 until first draw at 5:30 AM on 09/30/2025 (8 hrs. 30 mins).

Karl Environmental collected drinking water samples from water outlets throughout the Facility. At each collection point, Karl Environmental filled a 250 milliliter (mL) wide-mouth high density polyethylene (HDPE) sample collection bottle from the selected water source. Samples were collected after the water in each building had not been used for at least 8 hours, but not more than 48 hours. The initial sample at each collection point represents the first draw sample. The first draw sample is representative of the water from the end point of the water source (i.e., the bubbler or tap).

 

A field blank using lead-free laboratory reagent water was also collected at each Facility during the sampling event to rule out contamination of samples during the collection and transportation process. All samples were recorded under proper chain of custody and couriered to Eurofins Built Environment (iATL), a New Jersey certified laboratory located in Mount Laurel, New Jersey for analysis by EPA method 200.8, NJ DOE.

 

Test results were received via email to [email protected] on 10/03/2025.

All laboratory analytical results were compared to the Regulatory Action Level of 15 ppb for lead. Analysis of lead in the first draw drinking water samples indicated that at the time of the sampling, none of the samples were above the Regulatory Action Level.

All water outlets at the Somerset County ESC tested below the lead limit and are available for use.  As per DOE regulations, the next test will be conducted during the 2027 – 2028 school year.