Report Details Lead Levels At Oakland Schools

OAKLAND, NJ — The Oakland School District is one of dozens included in a report highlighting the prevalence of lead in water supplies in school districts released by Rep. Josh Gottheimer Monday.

The report analyzes every school district in the Fifth District, which Gottheimer represents, for their compliance with New Jersey's lead water reporting law.

The report states that lead testing was last done from June to August in 2017. Valley Middle School was tested twice, and still had above the U.S. standard of 15 parts per billion.

Dogwood Hill Elementary was tested twice and was still above 15 parts per billion in some locations, according to the report. Manito Elementary had four samples tested, two of which were at or above 15 parts per billion.

No letter regarding a remediation plan was posted on the district's website, according to the report. Results were on the district's webpage, but "lead water" had to be searched for in order for the results to be displayed, the report stated.

Of the 85 Fifth District schools, 19 percent did not report the results of lead testing on their website. Of the 81 percent that did, 46 indicated at least one outlet in the district had a problem with lead in the water.

"I believe it is essential that parents, teachers, and administrators have all of the information at their fingertips about lead levels in their schools, so they are well-informed about potential health issues their children may face, and communities can take necessary measures," Gottheimer said.

Gottheimer and Gov. Phil Murphy announced several initiatives Monday designed to strengthen the state's response to lead testing and fix elevated lead levels in drinking water in New Jersey schools. Those initiatives include requiring schools to test for lead every three years.

For more information about the initiatives or to view Gottheimer's complete report, click here.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com