State Agencies Urging School Districts and Child Care Centers to Test for Lead

All school districts and child care centers across the state are being urged to test their drinking water for lead as soon as possible.

It's part of a plan by the Oregon Department of Education and Oregon health Authority that was developed in response to a directive from Governor Kate Brown to review water quality and come up with recommendations.

"Children are especially susceptible to lead exposure because their bodies absorb metals at higher rates than adults," Governor Brown said. "In addition, schools are not included when water systems test for lead as required by the Environmental Protection Agency, meaning that a water system may be deemed to have safe lead levels overall, while water quality at schools remains unknown. 

"This must change."

Lead in the water in schools has been thrust to the forefront in the past six week - since the Beaverton School District announced the discovery of elevated levels of lead in two schools.

That was followed by the disclosure from Portland Public Schools of elevated levels in some schools.

That was followed by the admission that Portland Public Schools had known about elevated levels of lead in dozens of schools for as long as six years but never disclosed it.

And then it turned out that many districts across the state never even tested for lead in the water.

According to the Department of Education and Oregon Health Authority, the following steps will be taken:

Drinking water testing: Recommend all school districts and child care programs test for lead in their facilities this summer and take corrective action where necessary;

Certified laboratories: Recommend schools use certified drinking water testing labs to process water samples for lead;

Reportable results: Require certified laboratories to report lead levels in school and day care drinking water to OHA;

Online database: Develop a database and a method to transfer lead test records from labs, schools and school districts to OHA. ODE and OHA will collaborate to make results available to the public in an accurate and accessible online format. The database will be available later this fall;

Health expertise: Provide technical assistance on lead and other environmental health issues to schools and day care centers as needed. 

The agencies will also work this summer wth school districts and child care programs to implement this plan.

They will meet with district superintendents, school boards, and school facilities managers, as well as work with day care centers.