Detectable levels of lead has been discovered in three Hamilton Hall drinking fountains, according to a University email sent Monday to the occupants of Hamilton Hall and obtained by The Daily Tar Heel.
The fountains have been removed from service and will be replaced, the email said.
The Environmental Protection Agency requires water systems to take action if the sample has 15 parts per billion (ppb) or more of lead.
One fountain on Hamilton Hall’s second floor had double that amount, and a fountain on the fifth floor had nearly 27 times the threshold's guidance.
Powell Marshall, director of UNC Facilities Shared Services, said in the email that only "trace amounts" of lead had been discovered.
The University cited the "corrosion of lead plumbing materials within fixtures" as a potential source for lead in campus drinking water.
This comes after the entire campus was notified on Sept. 1 that lead had been discovered in three Wilson Library drinking fountains.
At the time, the University said they would test other campus fountains as a precaution.
The Daily Tar Heel has reached out the University for further comment. UNC Media Relations is looking into additional details about the situation, but did not respond by the time of publication.
