We’ve known since ancient times that exposure to lead is a public health threat.  Aging infrastructure, old paint in buildings, emissions from cars, and, sadly, drinking water, have all been sources of lead exposure in the United States.

But exposure to lead is of particular concern when it comes to children.  Their growing bodies act as a sponge when it comes to lead.  Lead found in drinking water, particularly in schools, is an especially pernicious threat.  There is no safe level of exposure to lead.  As a result, it is of critical importance that we eliminate as many sources of exposure as possible.  The well documented social costs of childhood lead poisoning include learning impairments, behavioral problems, lost IQ points and a range of serious physical ailments.  Prevention is the most efficient and effective response to the presence of lead in a child’s environment. Yet, as millions of children went back to school this month, they are in danger of being exposed to lead when they drink water at schools.

One decade ago, New York took its first steps in combating the threat of lead drinking water in the state’s school buildings.  In 2016, a law was enacted that required K-12 schools to test for lead in drinking water supplies and if levels were found to exceed 15 parts per billion (ppb), remediation was required.  In 2021, that level was dropped to 5 ppb and all public and charter schools are required to test every drinking water outlet at least once every three years.

Unfortunately, state data shows that it is urgent to move beyond testing and instead move toward prevention.  In a report examining the most recent test results available from the state Health Department, New York’s lead drinking water testing results were closely examined and the conclusions are stunning.  Despite ten years of “testing and fixing,” the new report showed that lead contamination in school drinking water from Montauk to Buffalo remains common.  The state data shows: 

• 12,500 water outlets at New York State public schools tested above the state’s 5 ppb threshold for lead; and
• 42% of school buildings across New York state (nearly 2,000 schools) reported at least one water outlet used for drinking or cooking had lead levels that exceeded 5 ppb.

In the Greater Capital Region and in the mid-Hudson Valley,

• 60% of school buildings in each Schenectady County and Schoharie County had at least one water outlet positive for lead above 5 ppb;
• Both Columbia and Hamilton counties ranked in the state’s top ten counties for the percentage of water outlets testing above 5 ppb. In Columbia County, 15% of all outlets tested above the state’s 5 ppb threshold, and 15% of schools in Hamilton County tested above that benchmark; 50% of the Albany County schools had drinking water samples contaminated with lead; and
• In the mid-Hudson Valley Region, Orange County schools reported 36% tested above the state limit, Ulster County with 24%, Dutchess County with 24%, and Sullivan County with 19%. 12% of Putnam County school buildings reported at least one outlet exceeding the state’s 5 ppb standard.

State law only requires that school districts repair water sources that test positive for lead at 5 ppb or higher.  But given the inherent variability of lead in water, only treating taps where water exceeded this level of lead during testing has left persistent contamination problems at many schools.  Furthermore, many other tested water sources contain lead below 5 ppb, so schools don’t remediate the problem in those places even though any amount of lead threatens a child’s health and children may be exposed to lead through other sources, such as paint at home and lead in soil on playgrounds.

Fortunately, this public health threat is solvable.  There is legislation pending in New York that would provide a reliable, cost-effective and immediately available solution to address this toxic health crisis. Senate bill 7777-A requires the installation of lead-capturing filters on all school taps used for drinking, cooking and beverage preparation. The state of Michigan already does this. New York should, too.