Missoula’s Jefferson Pre-K, a modest brick school with a bell and window decorations, faced a hidden danger until recently: high levels of lead in its water pipes. In 2021, mandated tests by Montana’s Department of Public Health and Human Services revealed hazardous lead levels throughout Jefferson’s water sources. Though immediate measures like covering fixtures with plastic were taken, a permanent fix took three years.
“We had lead throughout the entire building,” stated Burley McWilliams, Missoula County Public Schools’ facilities director.
Jefferson’s plight was not isolated. A 2020 statewide survey found over half of Montana’s schools had unsafe lead levels in drinking water. As the project enters its fifth year, progress varies, with 20% of schools yet to submit test results. Missoula staff tackled the issue, re-piping Jefferson this summer, ensuring lead-free water for the new school year.
McWilliams utilized a tiered system for tracking. “Green” fixtures had under five parts per billion of lead, requiring no action. “Yellow” fixtures, with five to fifteen parts per billion, could temporarily remain, if flushed daily. DPHHS guidelines required “red” sources, with over fifteen parts per billion, to be immediately covered, removed, or repaired.
“Probably a third of Jefferson was in the red,” McWilliams explained. “The other two-thirds were pretty much yellow.”
Lead sources vary, from solder joints to faucets. Simple filters may suffice, but extensive work is sometimes needed. Despite some progress, a fifth of schools, especially on Indian reservations and rural areas, have not yet submitted samples, a number unchanged over the past year.
DPHHS introduced the Lead Reduction in School Drinking Water Rule in 2020, with DEQ implementing it. A statement from DPHHS’s Jon Ebelt and DEQ’s Madison McGeffers explained initial leniency toward schools due to COVID-19 and staff turnover has slowed sampling. They plan heightened outreach to local and tribal health departments and communication on remediation funding, including $3.7 million from Montana’s Legislature and $565,000 federal funding received through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Increased funding boosts efforts, initially providing about $1,200 per school. Now, schools can receive up to $100,000, with 21 schools applying for reimbursement. Billings Public Schools’ facilities director, Scott Reiter, shared that all tests were completed by 2021, with ongoing mitigation projects. He expressed initial funding concerns but noted contact from DPHHS in 2023 about the increased budget.
“We’ve been working on this since we first did the testing,” Reiter remarked. Reiter’s district, however, was ineligible for funds until exhausting its Elementary & Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund. This summer included new service lines and fixture replacements across several schools. Reiter aims to finish mitigation by summer 2025.
Despite the budget increase, McWilliams noted costs exceed allocations. Jefferson’s re-piping alone cost $250,000, and it’s smaller than many county schools. Meadow Hill Middle School is next for re-piping, with no end date set. “It’s not being talked about,” McWilliams said, “but there’s a lot of work being done.”
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