Water sources at two more DeKalb County Schools have tested positive for lead.
Officials disclosed Friday that investigators found lead above federally mandated limits at Wadsworth Magnet and Robert Shaw elementary schools. At Wadsworth, three of 26 water sources tested positive for lead above the Environmental Protection Agency’s action level of 15 parts per billion. At Robert Shaw, a drinking fountain tested above the EPA’s action level.
School officials have reported so far that 260 water sources in 10 schools have been tested, with 18 of them testing above the EPA action level.
Elementary schools are among the first tested, given priority because of those students' ages. The district's 106 buildings built before 1986 are at high risk, as lead was legally used during construction. Lead levels depend on several factors, including the water temperature as well as how long it sits in pipes.
According to the press release, both Wadsworth’s and Robert Shaw’s buildings were built in 1955.
The district's lead testing website includes test results and remediation efforts for all affected water sources.
No Georgia law requires testing water for lead in schools or day care centers.
Recently, Atlanta Public Schools found elevated lead levels in some of its buildings, too.
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