Nearly 800 Texas Schools Test Positive For Lead In Water, Newly Revised Analysis Shows

AUSTIN, TX — Nearly 800 schools have found lead in their drinking water, according to an analysis of testing data released Tuesday by the environmental group Environment Texas.

The analysis is an update to one completed in March, officials said. The updated analysis includes hundreds of additional tests from various Texas cities, including Austin, Houston, Humble, Alief, Garland along with the Northwest Independent School Districts.

In tandem with the updated analysis, Environment Texas officials released a new toolkit designed to help parents, teachers and administrators Get the Lead Out of schools’ drinking water, officials said. Citing a lack of accurate information on lead contamination in water and how schools should prevent it, Environment Texas encourages parents and teachers to put the new toolkit on their “back to school” reading list, they said in a news advisory.

All told, 779 schools throughout Texas were found to have traces of lead in their water.

“Our kids deserve safe drinking water at school,” said Luke Metzger, Director of Environment Texas. “We want to give parents, teachers, and school administrators the tools they need to ‘get the lead out.’ ”

In Austin, seven schools and school buildings have tested positive for lead in the last year: Ridgetop Sanchez, Widén, Zavala, and Barrington elementary schools, the Burger Activity Center and the Noack Sports Complex.

Reacting to the findings, Austin ISD Superintendent Paul Cruz said "All tests showed safe, acceptable levels in our schools' water." But Environment Texas officials note the Environmental Protection Agency has set the maximum contaminant level goal for lead in drinking water at zero because lead is a toxic metal that can be harmful to human health even at low exposure levels. The American Academy of Pediatrics concurs, saying "...there is no safe level of blood lead concentration for children" while adding the public should "ensure water fountains in schools do not exceed water lead concentrations of more than 1 part per billion."

Some schools found very high levels of lead, researchers found. For example, in Houston ISD the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts found lead at 95.6 parts per billion (ppb) and Edison Middle School found lead at 466 ppb.

But environmental officials confirmed cases of lead-laced water are likely "... just the tip of the iceberg." That's because only 1,088 out of roughly 8,000 Texas schools have been tested and no public data is available for private schools. And, as noted in the toolkit, most schools built before 2014 have plumbing and/or fixtures that can suffuse drinking water with lead traces, officials said. Older schools pose the worst case scenario, with outdated service lines bringing lead-containing water from the mains in the street into buildings, according to the anlaysis.

Environment Texas’s tool kit includes a fact sheet, video, sample materials to press for action, and links to additional resources, especially on technical questions like proper testing.

“Lead is a potent neurotoxin, affecting the way our kids learn, grow, and behave,” Austin physician Dr. Whitney Schwarz said. “I strongly recommend parents get the facts about lead contamination of drinking water and how to prevent it.”

Officials noted that school districts are largely left to address lead contamination on their own, as current state law does little to prevent children’s drinking water from becoming laced with lead at school. No federal or state laws currently exist requiring Texas schools to take action when there is elevated levels of lead in the drinking water, researchers said.

Given the lack of such safeguards or oversight, Environment Texas earlier this year gave Texas a grade of F in addressing lead as a threat to children’s health. To download the full report, click here and here.

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