BUTLER TWP — The Butler School Board on Monday night took action related to the issue of high lead content in the water at Summit Elementary School:

The board voted to spend $9,655 with Book and Proch Well Drilling of New Castle to do inspections and camera services for both of the wells at Summit Township Elementary School.

The school had been drawing water from one of its wells, while the second one was not in use and was not working for unknown reasons.

Officials are continuing to work on correcting the issues at the school, where the water was found to have high levels of lead and copper.

The state Department of Environmental Protection requires schools with multiple wells to either use both wells or have one decommissioned, Acting Superintendent William Pettigrew said.

The cost will be taken out of the district’s $150,000 contingency fund to be used for emergencies. Not including the well inspection, the district has used $101,000 of that fund this year, mostly from costs at Summit school, business manager Debbie Brandstetter said.

Attorneys hired

The board also voted to hire Burns White law firm of Pittsburgh to work with attorneys from Dillon McCandless King Coulter and Graham in defending the district against a lawsuit filed in federal court.

The suit, filed by district resident Jennifer Tait, is intended as a class-action suit seeking damages for anyone affected by exposure to lead and copper at Summit elementary.

Former superintendent Dr. Dale Lumley also is listed as a defendant in the suit. He is being defended by attorney James Miller from Dickie, McCamey and Chilcote law firm of Pittsburgh.

Miller has requested that the district cover the costs of defending Lumley, which officials are looking into, district solicitor King said.

King said that defense costs and potential damage claims from the suit for both defendants might be covered by the district’s insurance.