Don't Eat the Produce: Portland Public Schools Issues Health Warning

You know the old line about drink the water?

Well, if you work in a Portland Public School or have a child who attends one, you want to make sure that they do not eat any produce grown in a public school garden. That was the warning issued Friday in the district's weekly health and safety update.

"The district has consulted with the Oregon Health Authority and at this time has received a recommendation that produce from school gardens not be eaten," says the update.

While the update did not elaborate on what the problem was, a spokeswoman for the district said it was likely related to the lead levels.

"It’s our understanding that they think it’s potentially unsafe because plants could in theory ingest elevated water and themselves become elevated," Courtney Westling told Patch.

The district recently tested the water at all 88 schools in the district for the presence of lead, which was found in every school but one - almost entirely at levels beyond what the Environmental Protection Agency says is acceptable. One spigot came back with a lead level well above anything that had been found in Flint, Michigan.

Many of the positive tests were found in outdoor spigots, which could explain the decision to recommend people not eat the produce grown in school gardens.

Image via ShutterStock