Lead Testing for School Drinking Water (Weymouth Town Clerk)

Easha,

Please see responses below in blue.
Kenneth C. Morse
Superintendent

Town of Weymouth
Department of Public Works
Water & Sewer Division
120 Winter Street
Weymouth, MA 02188

Email: kmorse@weymouth.ma.us<mailto:kmorse@weymouth.ma.us>
Tel: (781)927-0843
Fax: (781) 337-6940

I wanted to follow up on the following Massachusetts Public Records Law request, copied below, and originally submitted on March 28, 2018. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response.

Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.

Filed via MuckRock.com
E-mail (Preferred): requests@muckrock.com<mailto:requests@muckrock.com>
Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/accounts/agency_login/weymouth-town-clerk-3450/lead-testing-for-school-drinking-water-weymouth-town-clerk-51878/?email=LHultin%40weymouth.ma.us&uuid-login=572c66ae-bb56-4647-ae0b-efcba41eb359#agency-reply
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For mailed responses, please address (see note):
MuckRock News
DEPT MR 51878
411A Highland Ave
Somerville, MA 02144-2516

PLEASE NOTE: This request was filed by a MuckRock staff reporter. Also note that improperly addressed (i.e., with the requester's name rather than "MuckRock News" and the department number) requests might be returned as undeliverable.

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On March 28, 2018:
To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Massachusetts Public Records Law, I hereby request the following records:

1. A list of all schools under the jurisdiction of this agency. (see attached)

2. All results for individual lead testing conducted by your town/city on drinking water in schools under the jurisdiction of this agency since January 1, 2017. (see attached).

3. All meeting minutes or communications - including but not limited to memos, emails, notes, and analytical reports - regarding:
a. the decision to decline MA DEP assistance - technical or otherwise - for the testing of school drinking water The Town of Weymouth has replaced all lead services in the Town. The only place lead can come from would be from lead solder, pipes, and fixtures in private homes or schools. If we test for lead and are over the limit the pipe or fixture is replaced and then we sample again until we are under the limit. We have been reaching out to the DEP all along for assistance so there was no need to sign up for it.

4. b. levels of lead found in water used by schools under the jurisdiction of this agency since 1 January, 2017. (see attached) In 2016 Weymouth sampled all it schools for lead and then also sampled in 2017 as part of required DEP sampling. Next DEP required sampling is in the year 2020.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection database for school drinking water testing for lead, public schools within this town did not volunteer for the state's assistance program, which offered free testing to schools.
(For reference: http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/massdep/water/drinking/testing-assistance-for-lead-in-school-drinking-water.html)

Please provide this information on a rolling basis or contact me at eesha@bu.edu<mailto:eesha@bu.edu> if you have any questions at all about the contents of this request.

I also request that, if appropriate, fees be waived as we believe this request is in the public interest, as suggested but not stipulated by the recommendations of the Massachusetts Supervisor of Public Records. The requested documents will be made available to the general public free of charge as part of the public information service at MuckRock.com, processed by a representative of the news media/press and is made in the process of news gathering and not for commercial usage.

I expect the request to be filled in an accessible format, including for screen readers, which provide text-to-speech for persons unable to read print. Files that are not accessible to screen readers include, for example, .pdf image files as well as physical documents.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 10 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Eesha Pendharkar

Filed via MuckRock.com
E-mail (Preferred): requests@muckrock.com<mailto:requests@muckrock.com>
Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/accounts/agency_login/weymouth-town-clerk-3450/lead-testing-for-school-drinking-water-weymouth-town-clerk-51878/?email=LHultin%40weymouth.ma.us&uuid-login=572c66ae-bb56-4647-ae0b-efcba41eb359#agency-reply
Is this email coming to the wrong contact? Something else wrong? Use the above link to let us know.

For mailed responses, please address (see note):
MuckRock News
DEPT MR 51878
411A Highland Ave
Somerville, MA 02144-2516

PLEASE NOTE: This request was filed by a MuckRock staff reporter. Also note that improperly addressed (i.e., with the requester's name rather than "MuckRock News" and the department number) requests might be returned as undeliverable.

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Town of Weymouth, 75 Middle Street, Weymouth, MA, 02189
www.weymouth.ma.us<http://www.weymouth.ma.us>