October 25, 2016
Starting Monday, Rowan University will begin "comprehensive water-quality testing" in select buildings, officials announced in an update Tuesday.
The school has been vigorously testing for elevated iron and lead levels since it began receiving reports of discolored water in August. The school then warned students to avoid drinking from water fountains.
In September, grab samples were taken from across campus to determine problem areas, and while many buildings were found to be well below the Environmental Protection Agency's "action level," officials said they will continue to provide filtered water in residence halls and apartments.
The school is also set to test levels in administrative and academic buildings beginning Monday and lasting until Nov. 15. Residential buildings, which must sit vacant for at least eight hours prior to testing according to the school, will be tested during the first week of January.
Students living in on-campus housing will have to make other arrangements during that time, the university said.
As a part of a "comprehensive plan" and following Department of Environmental Protection protocols, the university will flush water from the buildings, let new water stand and then run the tests.
Since the summer, Rowan University has installed additional water bottle filling stations as well as retrofitted 27 others with filters.
Officials have put together a map outlining the results from the testing found here.
