BPS Reports Unsafe Lead Levels at 7 Additional Schools

BOSTON, MA — Additional testing this summer found seven more Boston Public Schools have at least one water source that exceeded recommended lead levels, leaving only two dozen schools with acceptable drinking water.

When classes resume this fall, students at 108 schools will be drinking bottled water, BPS said in a voice message to students and parents Tuesday. According to the message, the school system hired an engineering firm to perform additional testing over the summer at all BPS schools.

It's part of a new water policy that "goes above and beyond state and federal water requirements," after testing this spring identified multiple schools where at least one fountain tested above federally recommended lead concentrations.

This summer's testing found another six buildings with at least one water source that exceeded those recommendations. Out of an abundance of precaution, BPS said, those schools have been added to the bottled water-only list.

Those newly added schools are:

• Patrick Lyndon K-8
• Lee Academy
• Josiah Quincy Elementary School
• Boston Latin School
• F. Lyman Winship Elementary
• Jeremiah E. Burke High School / Dearborn STEM Academy

According to BPS, those same buildings tested safe this spring. However, summer testing possibly revealed higher lead levels because the water is not in frequent circulation, often sitting in pipes for months or weeks. Even though those conditions don't reflect a typical school year's use, BPS is adding fountains at those seven schools to the "no drink" list anyway, as a precaution.

"We expect that many offline schools will be turned online during the course of the coming school year," BPS Superintendent Tommy Chang said in a letter Tuesday.

BPS has also posted signs on sinks in school nurse’s offices saying the water there is for washing only, Chang said. The schools has ordered bottled water to be delivered to every nurse’s office, his letter said. It is additionally installing water filtration devices to certain cafeteria equipment, in addition to standing instructions to run taps for several minutes before using water in food preparation, the letter said.

The Environmental Protection Agency recommends drinking water with lead concentrations of no more than 15 parts per billion. Particularly for children, lead in drinking water can be a serious concern. Prolonged exposure to unsafe levels has been tied to behavioral issues and lower IQs. The issue gained heightened attention this past year, following revelations in Flint, Mich.

>> Photo credit r. nial bradshaw via Flickr/Creative Commons