MARQUETTE, MI-- Three Northern Michigan University buildings are shut down until further notice, following “inconsistent” lead level readings from test areas in each facility.
The Learning Resources Center, PEIF, and Thomas Fine Arts buildings will be closed until officials can get independent lab results—potentially over the weekend—and make a determination whether further investigation and testing is needed.
Derek Hall is NMU's spokesman.
“Inconsistent means it’s not every water outlet," he says. "A sink might test positive in one room and the next room is fine. So that’s why we decided to close the buildings and get comprehensive testing, which means getting samples from all water sources.”
NMU tested the water in more than 50 campus facilities after elevated lead levels were found in the Jacobetti Complex, forcing officials to close the building for two days as a precaution. Later tests confirmed the Jacobetti levels fall below the EPA action level of 15 parts per billion.
