As UNC Continues Lead Testing, Which Buildings Have Reported Contamination?

Posted by Brighton McConnell | Mar 26, 2023 | Health, Instagram, UNC

Editor's Note: This article has been updated to reflect the latest testing recommendations and availability for UNC campus community members. The original version was published on Monday, October 10.

After initial testing at the start of the fall semester, the presence of lead in some water fixtures at UNC has led the university to conduct widespread assessment of its water quality. Three water fountains in the historic Wilson Library initially returned tests with noticeable levels of the chemical in late August, prompting UNC to shut down the fixtures and begin testing similar ones across campus. Since then, several other fountains and sinks at the university have similarly returned test with lead detection.

Lead in drinking water is typically attributed to three sources: lead pipes, lead solder and lead brass fittings. If plumbing materials are corroded, lead can enter the water near the exit from the fixture, although this does not impact other pipes in a building. Blake Hodge, the communications specialist the Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA), said the issue is localized to the various fixtures on campus and the broader region's water quality is not at risk. While OWASA is supporting the university in their sampling efforts, he said sampling of water leaving the Jones Ferry Road treatment plant and in homes around the service area is coming back clear of lead. "We certainly understand that seeing these repeated results can be concerning for the community," said Hodge, "so we want to assure everybody that the water we are providing is meeting all state and federal regulations." Hodge said lead often enters the water not from its distribution source, but from plumbing materials in fixtures or infrastructure, like pipes, lead solder and lead brass fittings. Whenever water sits in a fixture or pipe for an extended period of time, he said there is a chance the chemical will leech from the item into the water. While it takes a significant amount of lead to be ingested to cause health problems, the Environmental Protection Agency states there is no safe exposure to the toxic metal in water and exposure can cause health problems. The Centers for Disease Control also have a group of people considered "high risk" for falling ill due to lead exposure. UNC says that anyone in the "high risk" category, as well as people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or work in the affected buildings, may want to consider being tested for the lead levels in their blood. After initially prioritizing those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, the university now has health tests for lead available to all faculty, staff and students who have used the affected buildings. Faculty and staff who are seeking testing should contact the University Employee Occupational Health Clinic, while students and post-doctoral fellows should call Campus Health. Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz told Chapelboro on September 29 that while the addressing of these infrastructure and water quality issues is going to be a long and "evolving process," he assured the campus community that "we’ve got the best people working on it." "There's a lot of work that's been done over the past few weeks," said Guskiewicz. "We’re pleased that those individuals who have been tested, there's been no detectable levels found [in them] and we continue to test the actual drinking fountains and water in these buildings."

The Environment, Health and Safety division's lead testing across campus is being conducted in phases, according to UNC. Phase One, which consisted of checking water fixtures that potentially had lead components due to their age and construction, is reportedly complete. UNC said Phase Two is the review and testing of water fixtures in buildings built during or before 1930. The final phase will be testing water fixtures in buildings built in or prior to 1990. UNC Environment, Health and Safety said it completed Phase Two of testing on Friday, October 28. Work on Phase Three is in progress.

As part of its response, UNC's department of Environment, Health and Safety established a web page tracking the lead contamination alerts shared to the campus community. The drinking fountains listed at the buildings have been taken out of service while the university works to improve the quality. UNC said sinks with detectable levels of lead will not be shut off for washing hands, but will have signage around them urging people to not drink from the sink.

Below is a comprehensive list of which UNC buildings the university says have returned tests with detectable lead, with the specific fixture that failed the test and the date an alert was publicly shared.

KENAN FOOTBALL CENTER

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LOUDERMILK CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE

CHASE DINING HALL

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1600 BAITY HILL (Graduate and Family Housing)

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MEDICAL BIOMOLECULAR RESEARCH BUILDING

NC AREA HEALTH EDUCATION CENTER

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ANDERSON STADIUM

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NEUROSCIENCES RESEARCH BUILDING

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MARSICO HALL

KOURY ORAL HEALTH SCIENCES BUILDING

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McCASKILL SOCCER CENTER

GENETIC MEDICINE RESEARCH BUILDING

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ALLEN EDUCATION CENTER

HOMESTEAD OPERATIONS CENTER

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CAUDILL LABS

CHAPMAN HALL

FIELD HOCKEY PRESS BOX in KAREN SHELTON STADIUM

STUDENT and ACADEMIC SERVICES BUILDING (SASB) NORTH

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McCOLL BUILDING

ITS MANNING

MEADOWMONT STABLE at 130 DUBOSE HOME LANE

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TAYLOR RESIDENCE HALL

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HILL ALUMNI CENTER

LOUDERMILK HALL

CAMPUS Y

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DUBOSE HOME PLACE

KENAN CENTER

203 BRANSON STREET

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BOSHAMER STADIUM

BOSHAMER STADIUM CONCESSSION STAND

EDDIE SMITH FIELD HOUSE

COGENERATION FACILITY

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CHANCELLOR’S RESIDENCE at 801 QUAIL HILL COURT

KOURY RESIDENCE HALL

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HORTON RESIDENCE HALL

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CAROLINA VETERANS RESOURCE CENTER on BRANSON STREET

CARMICHAEL ARENA

PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING on PAUL HARDIN DRIVE

TRAILER #50 on 125 UNIVERSITY LAKE ROAD

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KNAPP-SANDERS BUILDING

OLD CLINIC BUILDING at 101 MANNING DRIVE

GLAXO BUILDING at 648 S. COLUMBIA STREET

FINLEY CLUB HOUSE

212 FINLEY GOLF COURSE ROAD

216 FINLEY GOLF COURSE ROAD

220 FINLEY GOLF COURSE ROAD

205 WILSON STREET

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SITTERSON HALL

GRAHAM MEMORIAL HALL

720 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. BOULEVARD

730 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. BOULEVARD

ALDERMAN RESIDENCE HALL

MICHAEL HOOKER RESEARCH CENTER

HYDE HALL

LINEBERGER CANCER RESEARCH CENTER

MacNIDER HALL

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BRINKHOUS-BULLITT BUILDING

MEDICAL SCHOOL WINGS

BONDURANT HALL

MEDICAL RESEARCH BUILDING B

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STONE CENTER

GENERAL STOREROOM at 111 AIRPORT DRIVE

MOREHEAD PLANETARIUM ADDITION BUILDING

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BURNETT-WOMACK BUILDING at 160 DENTAL CIRCLE

GARDNER HALL

GILES HORNEY BUILDING ANNEX

TOTTEN GARDEN CENTER at NORTH CAROLINA BOTANICAL GARDENS

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HINTON JAMES RESIDENCE HALL

CRAIGE RESIDENCE HALL

MORRISON RESIDENCE HALL

TATE-TURNER-KURALT BUILDING

BYNUM HALL

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MOREHEAD PLANETARIUM

KENAN CHEMISTRY LABS

CARROLL HALL

WHITEHEAD HALL

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS STORAGE FACILITY

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HANES HALL

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EHRINGHAUS RESIDENCE HALL

KERR HALL

McGAVRAN-GREENBURG HALL

ROSENAU HALL

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AIRPORT TRAILER #24

AIRPORT HANGAR #2 at ESTES DRIVE EXTENSION

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE BUILDING at 104 AIRPORT DRIVE

NORTH CHILLER PLANT

GREENLAW HALL

DEY HALL

AVERY RESIDENCE HALL

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DEAN SMITH CENTER

MOREHEAD CHEMISTRY LABS

COBB RESIDENCE HALL

BRAUER HALL

ENERGY SERVICES BUILDING

FIRST DENTAL BUILDING

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GRAHAM RESIDENCE HALL

MANLY RESIDENCE HALL

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TAYLOR CAMPUS HEALTH BUILDING

OLD WEST RESIDENCE HALL

MITCHELL HALL

KENAN STADIUM

COATES BUILDING on E. FRANKLIN STREET

ACKLAND ART MUSEUM

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FOREST THEATER

MURPHEY HALL

EVERGREEN HOUSE by SWAIN PARKING LOT

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WILSON HALL

SWAIN HALL

HANES ART CENTER

COKER HALL

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CHEEK-CLARK BUILDING on W. CAMERON AVENUE

CAROLINA HALL

BINGHAM HALL

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HICKERSON HOUSE on BATTLE LANE

214 HENDERSON STREET HOUSE

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134 EAST FRANKLIN STREET

ALUMNI HALL

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NEW EAST

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STACY RESIDENCE HALL

SPENCER RESIDENCE HALL

HENRY OWL BUILDING

HILL HALL

BATTLE HALL

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ISAAC M. TAYLOR HALL

CARRINGTON HALL

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SOUTH BUILDING

PHILLIPS HALL

MANNING HALL

FORDHAM HALL

HAMILTON HALL

WILSON LIBRARY

For more details and full alerts to the UNC campus community about lead contamination, visit the dedicated web page on the Environment, Health and Safety department's website. To search through all conducted tests, visit this UNC web page. For resources offered to the community by OWASA, visit the agency's website.

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