Portland Public Schools Lead Problems Move from Water to Paint

As the Portland Public Schools District tries to put the lead in the water crisis that roiled the spring and, in part, led to the decision by Superintendent Carole Smith to quit, behind it, it is moving ahead in trying to deal with another lead issue - paint.

Last week, the district posted the last of the testing results for every school in the district and the news was not good. Every single building in the district except one had at least one water fountain or sink that had levels of lead higher than what the EPA considers safe.

On Friday, the district announced that all drinking fountains have been covered or made inoperable, and there will be water dispensers available at every building for the start of school to ensure that all students and staff have safe drinking water. Protocols are being established to ensure that water used to prepare food in kitchens is safe. Pre-washed food will be used initially to accomplish this goal.

The district says that signage will be placed on access doors to all non-fountain water sources (bathrooms, labs, classrooms, etc.) indicating that students and staff should not drink from sinks or any other fixture. Non-drinking uses such as hand-washing is safe.

That's a change for the district.

According to emails released to Patch by the district, in 2012, when high levels of lead were discovered in some schools, an attempt to put warning stickers up was vetoed by facilities officials.

"Do not drink water from this sink," the warning label would have read. "Please use the drink fountain."

The stickers were never used because officials were concerned they would be too alarming.

Meanwhile, the district on Friday also said that they have hired four certified lead paint contractors to "abate or encapsulate a large number of critical district needs."

The district said they are trying to get as much done before the start of school, focusing on schools with K-2 populations.

As a result, they have come up with a list of 40 schools to start:

Ainsworth, Applegate, Beach, Chapman, Sunnyside, Lent, Astor, Duniway, Capitol Hill, Alameda, Creston, Arleta, Lewis, Skyline, Youngson, Chief Joseph, Boise Eliot, Bridger, Rigler, Beverly Cleary Fernwood, Abernethy, Buckman School, Richmond, Creative Science, Rose City Park, Cesar Chavez, Woodlawn, Sitton, Vernon, MLC, James John, Hayhurst, Lee, Vestal, Llewellyn, Woodstock, Markham, Marysville, and Irvington.