Buildings on Chicago’s Northside have stood the test of time. Onahan Elementary School is no exception. Except for its galvanized plumbing system. Unsafe lead levels, when found in its drinking water, posed a daunting challenge.
Unsafe lead levels were assumed to be a result of its decades-old galvanized pipes Concerned parents demanded action, and Chicago’s Water Management urged for a hefty infrastructure fix.
Contractors implemented WM’s fix by exposing a riser and altering it to flush the system via a utility sink. Tens of thousands of dollars later, instead of potable water, they got a notable flood...of the entire school.
The school contacted Noah, after learning the system had turned unsafe lead levels to undetectable overnight at Von Steuben High School, with no infrastructure work.
The next day Noah’s creator, Michael Ramos, personally installed the system as a favor to Onahan’s Chief Engineer, a personal friend and colleague.
Overnight, Noah reduced lead levels to undetectable, without spilling a single drop of water on the school’s still soggy floor.
