More than half of Atlanta Public Schools buildings tested have high levels of lead in their drinking water.
That means that at one or more sources tested in the school, lead levels exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency limit for water systems of 15 parts per billion. The EPA recommends that schools take water fountains and other water sources out of service if lead levels exceed 20 parts per billion.
But even children at schools that weren't flagged for high levels of lead could be at risk: There is no "safe" level for lead exposure in children. Even low levels of lead in children's blood can result in behavior and learning problems, lower IQ, slowed growth and other problems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
District-wide results are expected later this summer.
>>Read more: More than half of the Atlanta Public Schools buildings tested have high lead levels
Source: APS test results through June 27 obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution under the Georgia Open Records Act
Note: 25 samples were taken at each site except for Sarah Smith Intermediate (17 samples), BEST Academy (50 samples for middle and high school) and Coretta Scott King (50 samples for middle and high school).
>>Read more: More than half of the Atlanta Public Schools buildings tested have high lead levels
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