• Parkway is committed to the safety and well-being of our students and staff including safe drinking water.

    In 2022, the Missouri legislature passed the Get the Lead out of School Drinking Water Act (RSMo 160.077), which sets standards for lead concentrations in school drinking water. The law requires schools to conduct inventory, sampling, remediation, and monitoring at all potable drinking water outlets used or potentially used for drinking, food preparation, and cooking or cleaning utensils.

    All Parkway schools complete water testing in partnership with a professional environmental consulting firm. 

    • The EPA standard for acceptable lead levels in drinking water is less than 15 ppb (parts per billion)
    • Missouri law passed in 2022 requires Missouri schools to have drinking water is less than 5 ppb (parts per billion)

Test Results

  • Families and staff are notified directly of the results of safe drinking water testing. The safety and health of our students and staff is our highest priority. We will work diligently to rectify every source that is out of compliance. In the meantime, all students and staff will continue to have access to various water outlets throughout the school that have met compliance.

    Test results for each school/building are posted below.

Results by School

  • Administration Building

  • Barretts Elementary

  • Bellerive Elementary

  • Carman Trails Elementary

  • Central High

  • Central Middle

  • Claymont Elementary

  • Craig Elementary

  • Early Childhood Center

  • Early Childhood Center (North)

  • Fern Ridge

  • Green Trails Elementary

  • Grounds Building

  • Hanna Woods Elementary

  • Henry Elementary

  • Highcroft Ridge Elementary

  • Mason Ridge Elementary

  • McKelvey Elementary

  • McKelvey Primary

  • North High

  • Northeast Middle

  • Oak Brook Elementary

  • Operations Building

  • Pierremont Elementary

  • River Bend Elementary

  • Ross Elementary

  • Shenandoah Valley Elementary

  • Sorrento Springs Elementary

  • South High

  • South Middle

  • Southwest Middle

  • Spark!

  • The Nines Building

  • Transportation Building

  • West High

Learn more about safe drinking water

  • Does Parkway regularly test water?
    Parkway Schools are provided with water from the Missouri American Water Company. The Missouri American Water Company regularly tests its water and publicly reports the results.

    Is it common to have lead in drinking water?
    Lead is rarely found in source water like groundwater or rivers. Typically, lead in water results from corrosion, or the wearing away, of lead-containing materials in the water distribution system such as pipes and faucets. Since 1986, all plumbing materials must be “lead-free.” The law currently allows plumbing materials up to 0.25 percent lead to be labeled as “lead-free.” While there are lower amounts of lead used in newer water distribution systems, corrosion still occurs. When water stands in lead pipes or plumbing systems containing lead for several hours or more, the lead may dissolve into the drinking water. In such circumstances, the first water drawn from a tap in the morning typically contains the highest traces of lead. Although rarely the sole cause of lead poisoning, lead in drinking water can significantly increase a person’s total lead exposure. The EPA estimates that drinking water can make up 20% or more of a person’s total exposure to lead. According to the EPA (www.epa.gov), children of any age are susceptible to the effects of lead, with children under the age of 6 being most at risk. While effects may vary in scope and severity, the EPA reports that lead might lead to behavior and learning problems, lower IQ, hyperactivity, slowed growth, hearing problems and anemia. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that the impact of lead exposure on children can be impacted by various factors including age, nutrition, the source of exposure, length of time of the exposure, and other underlying health conditions. Elevated levels of lead in women who are pregnant can also be harmful, possibly severely, to both babies and mothers. Your physician or healthcare provider can provide additional information regarding the effects of lead exposure and, with respect to one’s health history, whether testing for lead should be considered.

    Learn more about safe drinking water
    Basic information about lead in drinking water: https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinking-water
    Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services: https://health.mo.gov/living/environment/lead/publications.php
    St. Louis County Department of Health lead information: https://stlouiscountymo.gov/st-louis-county-departments/public-health/environmental-services/healthy-homes/lead-poisoning-prevention/

    If you have questions about the water testing in Parkway Schools, please email connect@parkwayschools.net.