Student science experiment leads to water concerns

HUDSON, MA - A group of high school students made a surprising discovery in Hudson while testing out the school's water fountains.

The testing was done as part of a science experiment, but when elevated levels of lead in the water were discovered the school district began making changes.

"People always talk about the water, that it's gross and we've actually have weird discoloration," Sam Tipps, a junior at Hudson High School, said.

The students took samples from the water fountains at three of the schools in Hudson and sent them to a lab for testing.

When the results came back, the lead levels at Mulready Elementary School were elevated.

"We were really surprised and we weren't sure if it was actually from the sample or had been a fluke from the machine that we used," Tipps said.

A second test did came back clear and the water was statistically safe for drinking, but Superintendent Jodi Fortuna didn't want to take any chances.

She shut down all the water fountains at Mulready for professional testing and asked students to bring in bottled water to drink.

Fortuna said the seriousness with which the students took the testing was the reason she decided to make the decision.

"It's very amazing to just feel like the work that we did actually made a difference in the community," Tipps said.

The district is going to continue to tap the resource they have in these young scientist and add them to the team working to update the water system across the district.