OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) — The Oakland Unified School District sent a letter to families informing them that the district is testing drinking water at all schools for lead contamination. Teachers and families had previously been told that some faucets and fountains had high lead levels.

“I first heard about it through a text message,” said Ashley Long, a mother of a child at Hillcrest Elementary. “It said to bring extra water for your child on the first day of school. I thought, OK, that’s interesting.”

OUSD says they found lead levels above the five parts per million safe limit on 22 of their campuses. Over 6% of fountains and faucets were above the federal limit of 15 parts per million. OUSD says they installed FloWater or similar water dispensers to provide filtered clean water. Parents, however, are not happy to hear about it until now.

“How could this happen in such a short period of time or were we simply not aware of it?” Long wondered.

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Environmental experts say lead is a dangerous metal that can cause significant neurological damage, especially in children.

“Tiny amounts can affect blood circulation and oxygen transport to the brain,” says Dr. Elena Givental, professor of environmental studies at CSU East Bay. “I can slow down early childhood development.”

According to Givental, lead in water is most often caused by old pipes or old pipe fittings.

“When the pipes are old and aging, they eventually corrode and cause water leaks,” Givental said.

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Water activists are calling on the state and federal governments to intervene, especially as school districts like OUSD face huge budget deficits.

“Children need to stay hydrated throughout the day,” says Andria Ventura of Clean Water Action. “They’re learning, they’re active, they’re concentrating.”

There is a state bill, AB 1851, that would help schools test drinking water for lead. This bill is currently in committee hearings. Ventura hopes the bill will one day pass.

“We fully understand the economic burden this places on schools,” she said. “We have asked the state commission to take the lead issue more seriously.”