The Oakland Unified School District in California revealed on Monday that almost 200 drinking fountains and water faucets across the district in different schools tested at higher levels of lead than the district’s standard of 5 parts per billion.
The district first learned of the issue earlier in August from the Buildings and Grounds Department and Risk Management.
Lead can accumulate in the blood and cause learning disabilities, hearing impairment, anemia, and stunted growth.
The school district noted that 116 of the 186 that tested higher than 5 ppb had lead levels below 15 ppb, the federal and state standard.
They also stated that schools had one or two isolated fountains with higher lead levels.
All fountains and faucets that tested above 5 ppb have been taken out of service until they can be fixed.
Sixty-one of the affected fountains and faucets have been repaired, but they need to be retested before they can be used again. The district expects to complete the remediation process in three weeks.
Because of the results of these tests, the district plans to test the fountains and faucets at all of its schools to ensure their safety.
All of the schools now have water dispensers that filter the water, and the district recommends that students bring a reusable water bottle to school and use these dispensers, most of which were serviced or replaced before the testing began.
The district also recommended running the faucet or fountain for a few seconds, which clears the majority of contaminants.
Oakland's school year began Aug. 12, and the district apologized to parents for not informing them of the test results sooner.
“We did not communicate effectively to the members of each school community as the testing launched, as we received the results, and as fixes were being implemented,” the district’s letter to parents read. “We are putting systems in place to ensure a lack of effective communication does not occur again, and that school communities receive quick notice when this kind of testing is taking place on their campuses.”
“We are committed to transparency about this testing,” the district’s website said. “It is our top priority to provide a safe, healthy environment for students and staff.”
The district has 45,000 students. Similar testing for lead in drinking water was last conducted in March.
NTD News reached out to OUSD for comment but did not hear a response by publication time.
The issue of lead in drinking water first came to the forefront in 2014 when leaders of Flint, Michigan, discovered that elevated levels of lead in drinking water there were causing high incidences of learning disabilities in the town’s schoolchildren.