Facilities, Infrastructure and Risk Management (FIRM)

Facilities Management & Campus Services

TO:  Shutdown Group, Doherty Hall

FROM:  Service Response Center

SUBJECT: Doherty Hall Drinking Water Sampling 11/2 – 12/11

Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) will be conducting drinking water sampling throughout Doherty Hall starting Monday, 11/2, and ending Friday, 12/11. The purpose of sampling is to continue periodic testing under the EHS Drinking Water Quality Program.

PWSA treats Allegheny River water and then distributes it through pipes to its customers, including Carnegie Mellon. Treated drinking water does not contain lead, but as it enters the service line, building plumbing, and fixtures, all of which may contain lead, this metal can leach into the water.

Potential drinking water outlets, including water fountains, bottle fillers, and kitchen sinks, will be sampled in accordance with the following process:

• EHS will remove the drinking water fixture from service in the afternoon at approximately 2-4 PM, posting signage indicating that the outlet is not to be used. It is crucial to the sampling process that these fixtures are NOT used. Please note: if signage is removed by someone other than EHS, or if it appears that the fixture has been used, the sampling process will need to be repeated and the fixture in question will be removed from usage for another day.
• The following day at approximately 7-9 AM, EHS will collect a sample of the water. The signage will be removed by EHS immediately after sampling, and the outlet will be available for use.

EHS expects to have the test results approximately 2-4 weeks after sampling is completed. Any fixtures that are found to have lead concentrations in excess of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s recommended action level for schools and childcare facilities of 15 parts per billion (ppb), will be turned off for usage until appropriate repairs can be made. Elevated results will be communicated to departmental leadership and space owners for distribution to their faculty, staff, and students as soon as possible after sampling result receipt. Results for specific locations may be requested by contacting safety@andrew.cmu.edu.

For questions or concerns regarding this testing, please contact Environmental Health and Safety at safety@andrew.cmu.edu or 412-268-8182.

Please forward this notification to any of your team members who may be impacted by this drinking water sampling at Doherty Hall.