Report: Newton School Among 20 With Elevated Lead Levels in Water

• Story by Alison Bauter (Patch Staff)

NEWTON, MA - Newton was among 20 Massachusetts state schools identified in a new report by The Boston Globe as having tested high for lead levels in the water.

The report, out Monday, covers 293 schools and early education centers across the state.

The latest news builds on an investigative report out Thursday from The Guardian that identified Boston and Worcester among 33 locations around the country that have used water testing "cheats" reminiscent of Flint, Mich. Both cities have since disputed this report.

Now, state data obtained by the Globe shows that a small percentage of schools tested - most in 2014 and 2015 - has unacceptably high levels of lead in the water.

According to the Globe, the highest lead levels were found in September 2014 in a faucet at Newton's Ward Elementary School; the water had a concentration of 230 parts per billion.

Josh Morse, Newton’s public buildings commissioner, told the Globe that the high lead levels were found in a kitchen sink that is not used for food preparation or drinking, and the sink as well as the pipes leading to it were all recently replaced.

He also told the Globe that water tested elsewhere in the building was "well within limits."

The Environmental Protection Agency recommends drinking water with lead concentrations of no more than 15 parts per billion. Particularly for children, lead in drinking water is a serious concern. Exposure to unsafe levels has been tied to behavioral issues and lower IQs. The issue has gained heightened attention this past year, following revelations in Flint.

In Newton, this information builds on previous reporting of high lead levels in multiple fountains at Burr Elementary.

Patch's request for comment from school officials was not immediately returned.

>>> Read the full story from The Boston Globe here.