I am writing to address a recent media report regarding lead levels in the drinking water at Connetquot High School. The information shared in that news story is inaccurate, due to an error in the state’s publicly reported database. After becoming aware of the news report, the district immediately contacted state officials, who have acknowledged the error and are working to correct the mistake on their end. To be clear, in our most recent round of testing, 70 outlets at CHS were assessed and only two were found to have elevated levels. Those outlets were immediately taken out of service and remediated. They were then retested and the new samples were found to be within proper levels. To reiterate, at this time, all high school outlets are in full compliance, as are the outlets at our other school buildings. We understand that reports involving water quality and student health can be concerning. Please know that the safety and well-being of our students and staff is always our highest priority. If you have questions or would like additional information about our water testing procedures or results, please do not hesitate to contact the district office or our facilities department directly.

The Connetquot Central School District’s website is correct – with two exceedances above the action level, not the 70 currently appearing on State Health Department’s website. The discrepancy is due to a reporting error that has since been identified, and the Department is working to update our website. It should be noted that any exceedances must be reported to the local health department which are then reported to the State Health Department – the data is just one reporting mechanism. The two exceedances were properly reported to the local health department, and appropriate steps were taken to remove the impacted outlets from service until remediation could be completed. Community members are encouraged to refer to the school’s website if they have any questions about water testing results.

Long Island school districts with positive lead tests:

(According to the New York state Health Department)

Nassau County

Suffolk County