For OUSD students, the school supply list just got a little longer. Parents received a letter Monday morning urging them to make sure students brought reusable water bottles to school. The reason? Elevated lead levels in the faucets and water fountains at 22 district campuses.
Revealed in recent testing, more than 18 percent of the water fixtures tested had lead levels higher than the district’s safety standard, with a third of them exceeding the more lax state and federal guidelines.
Testing for lead levels began back in 2017, when a new policy focused on clean drinking water led to extensive repairs and the addition of filtered water stations. But according to SFGate reporting, water activists are urging for state and federal government action, due to the massive budget deficits found in many school districts.
One state bill currently making its way through committee hearings could help schools test for lead in the drinking water. But until then, reusable bottles are the way to go.