ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A new map released by the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) shows lead testing results for school drinking water across Monroe County and the state.
The map self-updates with the latest data from the state Department of Health and allows users to click on a county to scroll through all of the schools in that county with results exceeding state lead limits. A link to the map can be found at the bottom of this article.
Seventy percent of Monroe County schools tested above state limits for lead in school drinking water, according to a report released last month. The state lead limit is five parts per billion, and the map shows which schools had water outlets that tested above that level. An outlet includes a water fountain, ice machine, kitchen faucet and any other water source that would be ingested by students, staff and faculty.
Responses to the findings
David Masur, a senior advocate with Environment America Research & Policy Center, called attention to the test results last month. “This is unacceptable. Medical research is crystal clear. There is no safe level of lead. Consuming water contaminated with lead effects brain development, leads to learning disabilities, hearing and speech problems and lower IQ,” Masur said.
Lead at any level can be harmful for growing children, and some parents are concerned about the findings. “Yeah as a parent I want to make sure that it’s safe. I’m not sure what that level is, I haven’t read the reports or anything, but every time I hear any number above zero, it seems like that it wouldn’t be safe but I would definitely want to see like okay, what is the highest standard?” Richard Kraude, a parent of two school-aged children, said.
Blair Horner, a senior policy analyst with NYPIRG, believes the solution is to require filters that meet scientific standards in all schools. “We’re advocating for a sort of prevention strategy, which would be that you mandate filters everywhere– filters that meet a certain scientific standard, so that they filter all of the lead out,” Horner said.
Proposed Solutions
Currently, schools must test for lead every three years and self report the results to the New York State Department of Health. If lead is found above five parts per billion in any outlet, the school must stop using that source entirely or else find a way to fix it. Horner believes that cost should fall to the state.
Horner estimated it would cost around $100 million for all schools across the state to install new filters. “But in a state that has a $270 billion budget, it’s relatively small potatoes. And the state has an existing program called the Clean Water Infrastructure Fund, which is designed to deal with lead remediation, particularly in pipes. And so this would make sense that we would tap into that resource,” Horner said.
Horner and Masur are advocating for new legislation that would codify school district reimbursement for lead remediation. They’re focusing their efforts towards the governor’s office, pushing for this change to get into next year’s state budget negotiations. As a result, advocacy efforts depend heavily on the outcome of November’s election.
In addition to reimbursement paths, advocates are also hoping to lower current state lead standards from five parts per billion down to one.
For more information on the state test results and how to review the results at your school, follow this link.
The post What’s in your school’s water? New York map shows lead test results school by school appeared first on WHEC.com.
