Operations and Maintenance

WELCOME TO OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE

The Southern Westchester BOCES Operations and Maintenance office provides a clean, safe, well-maintained and healthy environment to all Southern Westchester BOCES owned and leased facilities. The Operations and Maintenance staff is responsible for cleaning, maintenance, alterations, repairs, fuel, electricity, telephone services, messenger services and general management services to ensure that BOCES facilities meet all federal, state and local regulations.

STORMWATER MANAGEMENT

 As stormwater flows over driveways, lawns, and sidewalks, it picks up debris, chemicals, dirt, and other pollutants. Stormwater can flow into a storm sewer system or directly to a lake, stream, river, wetland, or coastal water. Anything that enters a storm sewer system is discharged untreated into the waterbodies we use for swimming, fishing, and providing drinking water. Polluted runoff is the nation’s greatest threat to clean water. By practicing healthy household habits, homeowners can keep common pollutants like pesticides, pet waste, grass clippings, and automotive fluids off the ground and out of stormwater. Adopt healthy household habits and help protect lakes, streams, rivers, wetlands, and coastal waters. Remember to share the habits with your neighbors!

REPORTING STORMWATER ILLICIT DISCHARGES

Please contact Mathew Kelleher to report illicit stormwater discharges

914-424-9675

mkelleher@swboces.org

 

Secretary

Eric Nygard 
Secretary to School Administrator
914-937-3820  Ext 4516
ernygard@swboces.org

O & M Forms

 Please download this form to complete and submit for approvals. 

Application for Use of School Buildings and or Grounds.pdf 

Mandate Lead Testing in New York Schools

State Department of Health Issues New Regulations to Mandate Lead Testing in New York Schools by October 31; New York First State in the Nation to Complete Lead Testing in All School Districts by End of 2016

“I want to thank the Governor for working closely with us to pass this important legislation requiring schools to test their drinking water for lead,” Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo, Chair of the Assembly Children and Families Committee, said. “All of the stakeholders came together to ensure that no child will have unsafe levels of lead in their school drinking water and that school districts will not face an undue financial burden. As a result of this legislation, the test results will be made public and every parent and teacher will know what is in their children’s drinking water.”

“With this new law and accompanying regulations, New York is taking a monumental step forward toward protecting our children from lead, which can cause devastating and lifelong consequences to those who have been exposed,” said Commissioner of Health Dr. Howard Zucker. “We look forward to working with our state’s schools to ensuring that their drinking water is safe from lead.”

Previously, schools in New York were not required to test their drinking water for lead, or notify parents or government officials of results. Testing was voluntary and administered by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. This method of voluntary testing without enforceable standards has demonstrated the clear need for direction by the state to New York schools on when, what and how to sample drinking water for lead.

This new legislation requires all school districts in New York State to test potable water for lead contamination, and to develop and implement a lead remediation plan where necessary.

Pursuant to the accompanying regulations, samples collected must be 250 ml and taken from a cold water outlet where the water has been motionless in the pipes for a minimum of 8 hours but not more than 18 hours.

By September 30, 2016, all school buildings serving children in pre-kindergarten through grade five must collect a sample from each identified sampling location for testing. Any schools serving children in grades six through twelve that are not also serving children in younger grades must complete collection of samples by October 31, 2016. For new schools which begin operations after the effective date of this regulation, initial samples must be performed prior to occupancy.

Under the regulations, schools are required to report all lead test results to the state Department of Health via a designated statewide electronic reporting system. If lead levels are detected above 15 parts per billion at any potable water outlet, the school must discontinue use of that outlet, implement a lead remediation plan to mitigate the lead level, and provide building occupants with an adequate alternate supply of water for cooking and drinking.

Schools must report the exceedance to the local health department within one business day. Test results must also be provided in writing to all staff and parents no more than 10 business days after receiving the report. Schools must post the results of all lead testing and any remediation plans on its website as soon as possible but no more than six weeks after the school received the laboratory reports. Once test results indicate that lead levels are below the action level, schools may resume use of the water outlet.

For schools that performed testing and remediation at buildings after January 1, 2015, and that complies with these regulations, those buildings do not need to be retested. Schools may also be eligible for a waiver for testing school buildings, if the school can demonstrate that they performed testing and remediation that substantially complies with the regulations, and that lead levels in the building’s potable water are below the action level.

Schools will be required to collect samples every five years, at a minimum, after the initial testing or at a time determined by the Commissioner of Health. All samples will be analyzed by a lab approved by the Department’s Environmental Laboratory Approval Program.

Although laws now limit the amount of lead in new plumbing equipment, materials installed before 1986 may contain significant amounts of lead. Federal laws in 1986 required that only “lead-free” materials be used in new plumbing and plumbing fixtures but still allowed certain fixtures with up to 8 percent lead to be labeled “lead free.” Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act in 2011 appropriately redefined the meaning of “lead free.” Even so, it’s possible that older plumbing may leach lead into the drinking water.

Facilities such as schools, which typically have intermittent water use patterns, are more likely to have elevated levels of lead due to prolonged water contact with plumbing materials. This source is increasingly being recognized across the nation as a contribution to a child’s overall lead exposure. 

 

Current testing results can be found using this link, NYS Schools Lead Testing Results

 

 

 

2020 Districtwide Lead in Drinking Water Water Sampling and Remediation Plan