FALLS CHURCH, Va. — Drinking water in our schools is under scrutiny. Could we be exposing our children to high levels of lead, possibly leaching from pipes and faucets?
Extremely dangerous for children, lead can cause learning problems, brain damage and even death.
"No safe blood lead level in children has been identified. Lead exposure can affect nearly every system in the body," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The advocacy organization Environment American states in its new report, "Get The Lead Out" that "more than 24 million American kids will lose IQ points due to lead exposure" and points to research that shows many will be exposed to lead in their schools’ drinking water.
Environment America looked at test results around the country and found that "lead is even contaminating drinking water in schools and preschools — flowing from thousands of fountains and faucets where our kids drink water every day."
Under federal law, most schools don’t have to test the water from taps and drinking fountains. Likewise, many states and districts do not mandate water testing at schools.
Even when districts do test their water, if they find lead, they may not tell parents. In 2016, a Prince George’s County elementary school was handing out bottled water to students after finding elevated levels of lead. But parents were not notified until WUSA9 started asking questions.
In Flint, Michigan, an entire town's water supply contaminated with lead.
That tragedy and others prompted Environment America to push for change. It’s just-released review of 31 states and Washington D.C. finds, “…current regulations are too weak to protect our children from lead laden-water at school.”
The group says the problem is the fixtures in schools. Fountains, faucets and other parts that contain lead. It wants school to "Get the Lead Out" by replacing fixtures, or at a minimum, installing and maintaining filters on every faucet or fountain used for cooking and drinking. And they want states at the federal government to help pay for the changes.
“Of the 32 states including the District of Columbia that we surveyed, 22 of them are failing to protect our kids from lead in drinking water," John Rumpler, who co-authored the report, said.
Virginia is one of those 22 states that received an F rating.
The report cites five school districts in Central Virginia with lead contamination in schools’ water. It cites no cases in Northern Virginia.
Environment America found "current regulations are too weak to protect our children from lead-laden water at school." It says that federal rules only apply to the roughly ten percent of schools and preschools that are considered to be their own Public Water Systems.
At schools not considered to be a Public Water System, "there is no federal rule protecting kids from exposure to lead in schools’ drinking water."
In its review of states’ laws and regulations, the report found several states have no requirements for schools and preschools to address the threat of lead in drinking water.
"We can't be proud of [Virginia's failing grade,] Virginia Tech engineering/environmental engineer Marc Edwards said. He is an expert on water treatment and corrosion. His research on elevated lead levels in Washington D.C.'s municipal water supply gained national attention and brought changes in on D.C. The District received a B+, the highest grade in the Environment America review. Maryland received a C rating.
Edwards said he believes Virginia is "ahead of the curve in water quality" but understands the fear.
"Perception is reality," he said, and more needs to be done not only ensure safety but to inform the public on policies. "There's an evolving door of policy ... which creates mass confusion."
He said he really wished there were a federal law ensuring safe drinking water in schools.
Most school systems in Virginia use public water supplies which are required to test for lead. To put requirements on schools themselves "would be extremely expensive" and leave questions over who would pay for it, Edwards explained.
In 2017, Virginia passed a law requiring all public schools built in 1986 or earlier to test for lead. But there is no requirement to report what it finds, no enforcement behind that law. Fairfax County Public Schools officials said they are still in process of implementing that law.
After the Flint crisis, FCPS tested the water at every school and found 7 samples out of more than 1600 with elevated lead levels. A spokesman said water was immediately shut-off and not used until the problem was investigated and corrected and retested. He also said parents were notified.
