Stricter Lead Limit For Drinking Water In County Proposal

ROCKVILLE, MD — A bill that would establish a new lead limit for drinking water in Montgomery County public schools has been introduced by the county council.

Sponsored by District 5 councilmember Tom Hucker, the bill would set stricter drinking water standards than the federal government and the state of Maryland. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has set the limit for lead in drinking water at 15 parts per billion (ppb). Under state law, lead concentration in drinking water cannot exceed 20 ppb.

Bill 2-19, which the Montgomery County Council introduced Tuesday morning, would set the limit at 5 ppb.

"We can't take any chances with the health of our children," Hucker said during Tuesday's council meeting. "We need to set an updated standard that's more health protective and contemporary for Montgomery County based on the best contemporary science."

The consequences of lead poisoning are serious and long lasting. Lead's trail is virtually invisible, discoverable only through finger-prick blood test or when children begin showing signs of learning disabilities, reduced IQ, behavioral changes, anti-social behavior, anemia, hypertension, renal impairment, immunotoxicity and a plethora of other neurological and behavioral problems that are thought to be irreversible, according to the World Health Organization.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention said people exposed to elevated levels of lead may experience symptoms including abdominal pain, memory loss, headaches, and pain or tingling in the hands and/or feet.

"Young children, infants, and fetuses are particularly vulnerable to lead because the physical and behavioral effects of lead occur at lower exposure levels in children than in adults," according to the EPA. "A dose of lead that would have little effect on an adult can have a significant effect on a child. In children, low levels of exposure have been linked to damage to the central and peripheral nervous system, learning disabilities, shorter stature, impaired hearing, and impaired formation and function of blood cells."

Following a countywide review of drinking water last year, officials found 86 of the 208 schools that were tested had elevated lead levels. School officials said the fixtures were removed until post-remediation testing confirmed they were safe to use again.

"Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is committed to the safety of our students and staff," officials said on the school system's website.

A public hearing on Bill 2-19 is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 26 at 1:30 p.m.

Image via Shutterstock