Introduction

Like many public school systems across the U.S., Albemarle County Public School's buildings contains asbestos in some of its older facilities.  Albemarle County Public Schools has taken pro-active steps to establish a management process that ensures that all of our facilities meet both Federal and State asbestos management requirements.  We believe that it is important for students, staff, and parents to become familiar with the facts about asbestos in our school facilities and the measures we take to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff

Background

The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) was passed into law in 1986.  AHERA is administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  AHERA regulates asbestos in public elementary and secondary schools.  AHERA requires all public school districts and private schools to inspect all school buildings for the presence of asbestos, and to develop Asbestos Management Plans for each school facility.

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a mineral found in varous types of rock formations.  It is mined, processed, and then usually combined with a material that allows it to be used in many different products.  Asbestos became a widely used material in buildings beginning in the early 1900s because it is durable, fire proof, corrosion-resistant and insulates well. According to the EPA, it has been estimated that "there are asbestos-containing materials in most of the nation's primary, secondary and charter schools."

Asbestos can be categorized as either friable or non-friable:

• Friable asbestos can be crumbled, pulverized or powdered by hand pressure.  If a friable asbestos-containing material is damaged or disturbed, it presents an inhalation risk because asbestos fibers are more easily released into the air.  Examples of friable materials include sprayed fireproofing on structural steelwork, or thermal insulation on pipes.
• Non-friable asbestos is bound or locked into the product matrix, so that the fibers are not readily released.  Non-friable asbestos only presents a risk for fiber release when it is subject to significant abrasion through activities such as sanding or cutting with electric power tools.  Examples of non-friable asbestos products include vinyl asbestos floor tiles, acoustic ceiling tiles, and asbestos cement products.

Asbestos Requirements

Albemarle County Public Schools continues to follow the requirements listed below, in accordance with AHERA (40 CFR Part 763):

• Prepare and maintain an Asbestos Management Plan for each facility
• Designate, train, and certify a lead person to oversee asbestos-related activities in the school system
• Conduct semi-annual surveillance of all facilities containing asbestos in order to repair any damage
• Coordinate a re-inspection of all facilities containing asbestos every three years
• Inform parents and school personnel at least annually about asbestos activities in each school and about the availability and location of the management plan for their review via school newsletters, etc.
• Provide asbestos awareness training for all custodial and maintenance staff
• Ensure all asbestos-related records required by AHERA are accurately maintained (e.g. training, asbestos removal, sampling records)
• Post warning labels in all routine maintenance areas, such as boiler rooms, where asbestos-containing building materials are found

Questions & Concerns

If you have questions or concerns about asbestos management in our schools, please contact the Environmental Program Manager, Building Services Department, at 975-9340.

Albemarle County Public Schools holds a Virginia Class VI Waterworks Operating License for its few schools with drinking water wells. The Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) administers this license, and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) regulates the quality and operation of the drinking water wells. The Albemarle County Public Schools Building Services Department manages the drinking water wells on a day-to-day basis.

Why are we categorized as "Class VI"?

Class VI is known as the "Very Small Water Works" category.  Albemarle County Public Schools falls into this category due to its relatively small population for the schools with drinking water wells that it serves.

Which schools are on wells?

• Broadus Wood Elementary
• Virginia Murray Elementary
• Walton Middle
• Scottsville Elementary
• Stony Point Elementary

Safe Drinking Water 

Our ultimate goal is to provide students and employees with an adequate supply of safe, potable drinking water, and the confidence that their water is safe to drink.  To this end, we follow all federal and state requirements for drinking water chemical monitoring, sampling, record keeping and reporting.

Chemical Monitoring

To ensure adequate disinfection, we treat our water with chlorine. For corrosion control, we utilize soda ash and a polyphosphate.  This treatment is closely monitored on a weekly basis, and adjustments are made to the chemical levels based on weekly testing data.  Levels of chlorine in our drinking water are tested and recorded weekly, and this information is submitted to the Virginia Department of Health.

Sampling for Contaminants

Coliform Bacteria

As required by the Virginia Department of Health, we sample monthly for the presence of coliform bacteria in the schools listed above.  Due to our disinfection practices and careful chemical monitoring, it is a very rare occurrence to have a "positive" coliform test in any of our schools.  If this should happen in the future, we will notify all school-affiliated persons affected by this occurrence, and take immediate steps to correct the issue.  All bacteria sampling records are kept in the Building Services Department.

Other Contaminants

VDH also requires that we periodically sample for levels of the following contaminants in our drinking water: lead, copper, nitrates, cyanide, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), inorganic compounds, and metals.  The Assistant Director for Environmental, Health & Safety for Albemarle County Public Schools maintains compliance with the sampling requirements.  As with bacteria sampling, any exceeding level of a contaminant found to exceed the exposure standard limit will be communicated to all affected members of the community, and appropriate corrective action taken immediately.

Questions & Concerns:

If you have general questions or concerns about Drinking Water in your school, please contact the Building Services Department at (434) 975-9340.

ACPS has been proactive about sampling for lead in drinking water and has no reason to believe that there is lead in the water in our schools.  Here is a summary of our testing efforts and their results:

Voluntary Lead Testing

In 2016 & 2018, ACPS voluntarily tested every drinking water fixture in every school, approximately 800 in total.  It included every water fountain, classroom sink/bubbler in elementary schools, kitchen sink, and any other sink and/or water source where we believed people might be getting their drinking water.  A limited number of fixtures were found to have lead levels above the EPA’s maximum contaminant level (MCL).  In each circumstance, we replaced the pipe or utilized a filter to mitigate the issue and retested it to confirm that lead levels were reduced to below the MCL.

Triennial Lead Testing

At our five well-water schools, we are required to conduct lead samples at each school every three years. Our results have been consistently below the EPA’s MCL. ACSA is likewise required to conduct triennial lead testing within its distribution system. Results for all ACPS water samples are publicly available via VDH’s Drinking Water Viewer: https://vadwv.gecsws.com/.

lead service line inventories

In 2021, the EPA released revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule. In accordance with this ruling, the EPA is requiring all waterworks operators/public utilities to conduct a lead service line inventory by October 2024.  We have conducted an inventory of service lines at ACPS’s five (5) waterworks sites. No lead pipes were found.

Using the button below, you can access our interactive map, allowing you to explore the lead-free status of service lines at ACPS's 5 waterworks sites.

ACPS Lead Service Line Inventory - Interactive Map

Albemarle County Service Authority (ACSA ) provides safe drinking water to 17 ACPS schools. They have recently completed their inventory and likewise found no lead service lines in their distribution system. More information about ACSA's lead service line inventory can be found on their website: https://serviceauthority.org/lead-free-water/

City of Charlottesville Utilities provides drinking water to two ACPS school facilities. Likewise, no lead service lines were found in their distribution system. More information about City of Charlottesville’s lead service line inventory can be found on their website: https://www.charlottesville.gov/1650/Lead-Service-Line-Inventory

For questions, concerns, or information related to Lead Service Lines or  Drinking Water, contact Building Services.

Phone:  434-975-9340