How Safe Is The Water In Public Schools?

The water crisis in Flint, Michigan has drawn attention on water safety, and many public school districts still question their water purity. Meanwhile, experts say that schools nationwide have issues with lead contamination.

John Schwartz, Patrick McGeehan and Michael Wines, experts in water safety, have shared recently some of the issues found in their reporting. According to The New York Times, John Schwartz explained that federal regulations on water safety apply on narrow issues. For instance, the regulations generally apply only to suppliers of water in case of regulating drinking water.

John Schwartz also said that when it comes to lead, it is difficult to assign responsibility for the problem. School districts, state city regulators and the federal E.P.A. have all failed at every level.

Schwartz pointed out that another issue is environmental injustice. Complaints about water supply coming from poorer communities are ignored by officials. According to Times, a report coming from an independent task force in Flint, Michigan has focused on this issue.

The Congress, through the Lead Contamination Control Act, tried to extend the rules to apply to schools, but the proposal was blocked by the federal courts. Since then, Congress has not done anything on the issue and the compliance with the Lead Contamination Act remains voluntary.

Many people are not aware that there is no mandatory testing of water in schools, according to Patrick McGeehan. The results of water testing in towns may not include any schools. However, legislators in New Jersey are calling for mandatory testing for lead in the water supply of schools.

Michael Wines added that in the last decade, efforts to rid water lack funding and government support. The federal budget has cut on discretionary spending, and in 2013, it has stopped funding state grants for adult lead surveillance, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The situation is concerning, and drinking a bottle of water would not be the solution to the water contamination problem. According to The Natural Resources Defense Council, even bottled water is not safe as it is not any better than tap water.