High lead levels found in schools

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

Cleveland’s school district will replace hundreds of drinking fountains, restroom faucets, outdoor spigots and other water fixtures after tests found high lead levels in the water at 60 of its buildings.

All but nine of the buildings checked had water fixtures with elevated lead readings, the district said Friday.

The district will begin replacing 582 water outlets, including 79 drinking fountains and 40 faucets in areas such as kitchens and teachers lounges.

Testing done this summer found that 9 percent of drinking-water sources in school buildings were over the standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Children have not been exposed to the water during this school year because water stations were placed in the buildings due to the ongoing testing, said Patrick Zohn, the district’s chief operating officer.

Buildings will continue to receive outside water until repairs and follow-up tests are completed, he told The Plain Dealer.

“We’re taking a cautious, conservative approach,” Zohn said.

The district said it decided to voluntarily test the water for lead after the water crisis in Flint, Mich.

Schools using a public water supply are not required to test for lead, which is known to severely affect a child’s development and can cause behavior and learning problems.

Only those schools that operate their own water systems – just a fraction of schools and day-care centers nationwide – are required to check for lead.