JEFFERSON TWP — South Butler School Board members approved a districtwide water testing contract Wednesday night, saying they want to take a “better safe than sorry” approach with the issue of water safety.

The contract with Gannett Fleming Inc. approved Wednesday night is not to exceed $20,230, and district officials say grant money could be available to help defray some of the cost of testing.

Superintendent Dave Zupsic said he believes the tests — which are meant to determine if water is being contaminated once it is pumped into the district's system — will ease any concerns community members might have, given the water issues that have emerged at Butler School District and in Pittsburgh.

“In light of what's going on with our neighbors and with Pittsburgh Public Schools ... I would like to do a comprehensive testing of our water ... to show the clean water that we have,” Zupsic said.

He said the tests would include one-time testing of every faucet in the district used for drinking, hand-washing and food preparation, and is meant to establish a “baseline” for substances like copper and lead.

The district gets its water from the utility company PA American Water, which performs state-mandated tests on its own water supply. But those tests don't take into account what happens to the water after it enters the district's distribution system, Zupsic said.

On his recommendation board members voted 7-1 in favor of the contract with Gannett-Fleming, with Debra Miller dissenting. Miller asked board members to table the motion until the district received more specific information about how the tests would be performed.

Miller said she was concerned the tests would expose the district to liability, and pointed out that testing for lead is different than testing for copper. With it unclear how, exactly, the company would perform the tests, Miller urged other board members to wait to approve the contract.

“What you're being offered on a contract is not recommended by the industry,” she said. “It's almost like apples and oranges.”

Zupsic said the district had some lead testing performed last year, and the results came back negative. After this round of tests, Zupsic said, the district will start “remotely” testing its water supply periodically.