BUTLER TWP — Small signs of lead in a few Butler school water sources are being dealt with ahead of the school year's start.

Out of 191 samples taken from various sites in the Butler Area School District, nine returned lead levels over U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations, according to Eric Buzza, a water-quality inspector who runs the district's annual testing. The water sources over official “action levels” are already being addressed or shut down.

“There are detectable levels of lead in the water, but they are very low levels,” Buzza said. “They establish the action level at a level that is under what would be expected to cause any kind of issues.”

Buzza presented results to the district's school board Monday night.

Though overall a good report, the most problematic results are a trio of samples in the Intermediate High School's Cafeteria A. A faulty valve was letting hot water backflow into cold water plumbing. Hot water, Buzza explained, is not intended for consumption as it's more corrosive in piping.

That problem should be solvable by fixing the valve, Buzza said, but they'll recheck before it's used again.

Buzza said other alarms were less worrying because they were isolated. The administration building had two tests over the action level, both of which are being remedied with replacement piping.

Center Avenue Community School is having some plumbing and a faucet replaced, as is the middle school. The senior high school is getting two fountains replaced with water bottle filling stations to remedy its problem.

All the flagged water sources will remain out of use until future testing returns good samples, Buzza explained.

Buzza said the school district is on the more progressive edge of water testing policies nowadays, as it garnered extra scrutiny after a disastrous lead-tainted water problem in Summit Township Elementary back in 2017.

“You guys have done very well,” Buzza said. “To be honest with you, you guys have sort of driven the bus here with the Department of Education. There was some tightening up of the rules here a little bit.”

Buzza noted that tests conducted in the summer, like Butler's, tend to have higher levels than school-year tests because the water sat unmoving for significant periods.

By state law, school districts must conduct such tests annually or else publish an official explanation of why they're choosing not to.

The Intermediate school should see new after-school programs this school year.Superintendent Brian White explained that he and other administrators met with Butler YMCA and Butler County Parks and Recreation officials to plan joint programs for the school. They tentatively plan on taking sign-ups in September and then hosting the first events in October and November. There will be information at orientation events.The programs will cost a nominal fee, White said, though they plan on keeping it as close to free as possible. The Intermediate's students, White said, are in the age group thought to be most helped by such programs.“Our data says this age group is searching for the most connectivity and positive relationships and activities,” White said. “Developmentally, it's appropriate.”The specific activities aren't yet nailed down, but White said they're planning on specific activities, like a pickleball tournament, rather than just open study time. That decision is based on surveys of Intermediate students conducted last year.

The school board unanimously approved a $1.2 million roofing project for the senior high school. The lowest bid came from Pennsylvania Roofing System and was slightly under district estimates.Work will begin in the fall and be conducted only after regular school hours, White said.