The crisis that began unfolding in Flint, Mich., in 2014 provided a tragic reminder of the dangers of lead exposure. The drinking water of an entire city had been contaminated with lead. More than 8,000 children under the age of six drank lead-contaminated water.
Now we know this toxic threat extends well beyond Flint.
Even the limited available data shows drinking water laced with lead at schools and early childhood programs across the country, in big cities but also in suburban and rural communities. Lead is so toxic that experts recommend a health standard of 1 part per billion. One drinking water fountain at Joseph A. Simas elementary school in Hanford, CA found lead at 2,000 ppb, or two thousand times the recommended health standard. Coyote Ridge Elementary in Roseville, CA reported lead at 1100 ppb in one outlet. St Theresa's school in Oakland repoted 2000 ppb in one classroom water fountain. Schools report that these outlets have been addressed, but most schools have still only tested 5 outlets, out of dozens currently in use.
In all likelihood, these confirmed cases only scratch the surface of this problem. Most schools have at least some lead in their pipes, plumbing or fixtures. And where there is lead, there is risk of contamination.