Reducing Lead in Drinking Water

Harvest Best Academy is committed to providing a safe and healthful learning and work environment for all of our students and staff. The district actively monitors and manages the quality of drinking water in our school buildings, including testing for the presence of lead in accordance with state and federal guidelines. Minnesota Statute 121A.335 requires public school buildings serving kindergarten through grade 12 to test for lead in water in potable water sources (consumable water) every 5 years. MDH and MDE have published Reducing Lead in Drinking Water: A Technical Guidance and Model Plan for Minnesota’s Public Schools, which presents a model plan that is available for schools to adopt. HBA has used this to develop the following Lead in Water Safety Standard of Operation.

HBA Lead in Water District Safety Plan

Lead Testing and Response
The district conducts testing of drinking water fixtures used for consumption (e.g., drinking fountains and kitchen sinks) every 5 years to identify any potential lead contamination. Water samples are collected and analyzed by certified laboratories following regulatory protocols. When elevated lead levels (above the action level of 5 parts per billion, per Minnesota guidelines) are detected, affected fixtures are promptly removed from service and appropriate remediation steps are taken, such as fixture replacement or installation of filtration devices. Retesting is conducted to confirm that lead levels are reduced to safe levels before fixtures are returned to service.

Availability of Lead in Water Test Results
The most recent round of testing will be completed during October 2025, with all water resources tested at Best Academy and Sankofa PREP. Test results and documentation of corrective actions will be available for public review below as soon as results are received by the district.

How to Interpret Results
Your result of "Not Detected" means that no lead was detected above our laboratory's reporting limit of 1.0 ppb. One ppb is equivalent to about three seconds in 100 years. For all practical purposes, your result means you do not need to take any further action.