When school drinking water is sampled and analyzed, it is not uncommon for schools to find lead in many different water sources. This happens because, even today, plumbing materials may contain lead that leaches into the drinking water. This is exacerbated when water use is cut back and becomes stagnant in the plumbing during weekends and seasonal breaks, reducing the effectiveness of the corrosion control chemicals added to water to prevent contamination.
Sampling and testing drinking water in schools is costly. Currently, there are no enforceable federal mandates for testing drinking water in schools or remediating lead hazards. Furthermore, testing merely confirms the presence of a source of lead exposure in the water system without actually addressing the problem. Replacing supply fixtures where lead contamination is found doesn’t actually guarantee a lead-free source of water because the plumbing system likely still contains lead. Even new faucets and fixtures marked as “lead-free” can still contain some amounts of lead. In addition, replacing all the plumbing in a school is incredibly expensive and some new plumbing materials can still pose an ongoing risk of lead exposure.