PSD investigating high copper levels found in new Wellington school's water
Editor's note: Rice Elementary School became the second Wellington school to find elevated copper levels in some of its drinking water sources over PSD's winter break, according to a district email sent to the school's staff and families Wednesday. The Coloradoan will continue its reporting on this development.
Poudre School District is investigating the cause of issues with Wellington Middle-High School's drinking water after two science classes at the school found high levels of copper in it late last year.
Following the class tests — which showed levels more than double the Environmental Protection Agency's action level for copper in drinking water at two water bottle filling stations — PSD took its own water samples from around the school Dec. 22, later confirming through a third-party lab that copper levels in several fixtures and bottle filling stations exceeded the EPA's threshold, according to a district email to the school's staff and parents Tuesday.
The Town of Wellington also took samples of its own around the same time, ultimately ruling out the town's water distribution lines as the cause for the elevated copper levels, the town and PSD both said.
While PSD hasn't yet confirmed what's causing the elevated copper levels, the general contractor who built Wellington Middle-High School believes the issue could be tied to the newly constructed building's water softener equipment, according to the district.
The district will turn the softener off and — like it did Dec. 21, the last day of classes before winter break started — the school will keep signs posted on all water fountains, water fill stations and in bathrooms telling people not to drink the water.
Meanwhile back in Fort Collins:Fort Collins considers expanded southeast community center, dependent on PSD commitment
PSD will continue providing bottled water to students and staff until further notice, and school meals will be prepared without school water until a kitchen water filter is installed. District staff will also look into possibly installing filters on the school's hydration stations, drinking fountains and kitchen sinks.
Classes at the school will resume, as planned, on Thursday.
While copper toxicity is rare, eating, drinking or breathing in high levels of copper over time can cause stomach aches, nausea, diarrhea, headaches, dizziness and fatigue, Larimer County Department of Health and Environment Medical Officer Dr. Paul Mayer told the district. As of Tuesday, PSD spokesperson Madeline Noblett said no copper poisoning cases among Wellington Middle-High School students had been reported to PSD.
Wellington Middle-High School is one of the district's two newest schools, built at the same time as Timnath Middle-High School and using the same general design plan. Both schools opened in August, marking new chapters for the growing Northern Colorado towns.
A peek into the past:As shiny new Wellington, Timnath schools open, grads go back in time to bygone era
Given the similarities in the schools' construction timelines and design, district staff also took water samples from three locations in Timnath Middle-High School before classes let out for winter break. It also tested water samples from Bamford Elementary School, which opened in Loveland in 2021.
Results from Timnath Middle-High School and Bamford Elementary School showed water contaminants under the EPA's recommended action level, according to Noblett.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Wellington Middle-High School water shows high levels of copper
