On February 24, 2023 the Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) tested for lead in all water consumption points at Freire Charter School Wilmington as part of their statewide initiative to identify the levels of lead within the drinking water system. The results showed that the water in our building is safe to drink, as none of the water consumption points in our building presented lead levels above a laboratory reporting limit.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) historically set the action level for lead in drinking water at 15 parts per billion (ppb). However, Delaware has proactively lowered this initial action level to 7.5 ppb to ensure even greater safety for our students and staff. Our testing revealed that every sink accessible to students and staff falls well within this safe range.
However, when Freire Wilmington had all water consumption points (sinks) re-tested in May 2024, the results of this test showed that all but one water consumption point had zero actionable traces of lead. The sink that failed the test is located in a room that is inaccessible to students and staff and is located in an area of the building that is not in use. We are taking immediate steps to address this isolated finding and meet the highest standards of quality for our community.
You can view the 2024 lab results and reinspection report here:
- Freire Wilmington: Lead Water Test Results – April 25, 2024
- Freire Wilmington: Lead Water Retest Results – May/June 2024
Freire Wilmington takes lead safety very seriously. We will keep everyone informed of the results of future tests, and Freire Wilmington will always work proactively to keep our drinking water and building safe.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Freire Schools Operations Manager Johnny Mills at johnny@freireschools.org.