How much lead is in Oakland school drinking water? District releases test results
During a recent water sampling in the Oakland Unified School District, technicians found that a kitchen faucet at Edna Brewer Middle School emitted a level of lead 108 times higher than the amount used by OUSD to decide whether to shut off a water source due to its toxicity.
OUSD tested lead levels in 42 schools and 13 daycare centers earlier this year. Check out the data.
A faucet in the cafeteria at Cleveland Elementary School was found to have lead levels of 480 parts per billion, 96 times higher than the 5 parts per billion limit at which the water source is turned off.
Last week, recent news that elevated lead levels had been found in several Oakland schools raised concerns. Parents, teachers, staff and students have implored the administration to act quickly and disclose exactly where the highest lead levels were found, as well as to quickly repair the piping systems that could be releasing the toxic metal into the water.
“There are many problems with OUSD that need to be addressed, but this is the most important one,” Stuart Loebl, a sixth-grade math and science teacher at Frick United, said Friday. “As long as we’re poisoning our students, nothing else matters.”
Over the weekend, OUSD released its most recent lead testing data from 42 schools and 13 daycare centers.
The data shows that high levels of lead were leaking from water fixtures in several schools.
There is no safe amount of lead that people can consume. The metal causes numerous health problems, especially in children, whose bodies absorb it more than adults. Lead can cause brain and nervous system damage, developmental disabilities, hearing and speech disorders, and other harm.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) “action level” for lead in water is 15 ppm. When levels exceed that level, repairs, cleanups, and other measures to reduce lead levels are required. The Oakland Unified School District has an even more cautious policy. If lead levels in water from any source – a playground fountain or a kitchen faucet – exceed 5 ppm, OUSD must shut off access to that water source until the problem is corrected and lead levels are returned to below 5.
OUSD Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell said at a district board meeting last week that she would provide a comprehensive report on the situation to school communities on Aug. 28.
