Report says water in Philadelphia schools rife with lead

A new report from an environmental group says 98 percent of Philadelphia, Pa., schools involved in a recent test were found to have drinking water samples contaminated with lead.

The report, from PennPIRG Education Fund, the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center and the Black Church Center for Justice and Equality, also says that 61 percent of all water fountains, kitchen faucets and sinks that were tested across the school district were tainted with lead.

The environmental group, which reviewed publicly released data from the school system, said 71 percent of the district’s schools have yet to be tested but the data available for 29 percent of the schools “reveals district-wide lead contamination.”

“Schools should be safe places where our kids go to learn, achieve, and grow up to be productive citizens in society,” said David Masur, PennEnvironment’s Research & Policy Center executive director, in a statement. “Instead, our study shows the pervasive threat of lead in drinking water faces Philadelphia kids when they enter our school buildings. It’s time for district officials to address this threat once and for all.”

Lead, which when ingested can cause a host of health difficulties, has become a frequent concern after the 2014 crisis in Flint, Mich. A $626 million settlement was approved last year in a massive lawsuit against the state, city and others after 99,000 residents came into contact with lead, which had been infused in the town’s water source.

Also last year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a strategy to combat lead exposure. While recent improvements have reduced lead contamination, low-income areas and communities of color are still at a particular risk of contamination.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the population in Philadelphia County is 43 percent Black. In response to concerns of contamination, a 2017 law required the district to test every school and outlet in that school by the end of 2022.

PennEnvironment said the Philadelphia district, which educates nearly 200,000 students, should ramp up its efforts to test the rest of the city’s schools to meet the deadline, and replace old water fountains.

According to the group’s report, the highest contaminated level was 8,768 parts per billion (ppb) at an outlet at Duckrey Public School.

Longstreth Elementary School reported the most outlets with lead contamination, with 49 out of 56 kitchen faucets, sinks and water fountains having a trace of lead.

City Councilmember Helen Gym (D) said “every child needs access to safe and ample drinking water in their schools.”

“The health of our students is critical to their success, and the success of our entire city,” the lawmaker said in a statement. “We must go further to eliminate the threat of lead and increase water access in every school in Philadelphia.”