Elevated Lead Levels Present In Ohio Schools Drinking Water

A new report shows that more than 10 percent of Ohio school fixtures have elevated lead levels in their water. Now two state representatives, from steel towns, are calling for the state to mandate the use of domestic steel in school districts to remedy the problem.

“This problem is even more widespread that we could have imagined. Our children are being put in harm’s way by importing cheaply made foreign goods, containing dangerous chemicals. We have to do something right away to protect our kids,” said State Representative Dan Ramos, a Democrat from Lorain.

Over the past 18 months, school districts throughout Ohio have been testing drinking fountains and faucets inside old buildings. About 10 percent of those fixtures had elevated levels of lead, the Associated Press reports. Roughly half of the contaminated water fixtures have been shut off or replaced.

Records indicate that 1,400 out of 14,000 Ohio school drinking water fixtures had lead levels above the federal limit. The voluntary testing was conducted after the Flint, Michigan water crisis started making headlines.

Only nine of Ohio's 20 largest school districts participated in the voluntary evaluation of water fixtures. Cleveland swapped out 216 water fixtures. Columbus, the state's biggest school district, only tested three of its buildings, the Associated Press said.

“Any number of contaminated fixtures in our schools presenting health risks to young students means we still have a problem,” said State Representative John Boccieri, a Democrat from Poland. “We need to do more to eliminate lead contamination and protect the safety of our kids. Requiring the use of safe, American steel in our school infrastructure is one way to start getting there.”

Boccieri said he thinks imported Chinese steel may have led to some of the current health and safety risks being faced by Ohio schools. The Associated Press reported that school officials thought lead solder joints and lead parts in the water fixtures contributed to the contamination.

Ramos and Boccieri introduced House Bill 57 last year, which would mandate that schools getting public funding would have to use American steel.

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