New Analysis: 78% of Tested Texas Schools, Daycares Found Lead in Drinking Water

clip art- silloutte of a person drinking from water founting, with yello Texs shape on fountain
Image: Pixabay and TexEdNews composite

An analysis released today (press release) of Environment Texas Research and Policy Center water testing data voluntarily submitted by Texas schools to the state found that lead contaminates much of the water supplied to the schools.

The center specifically reviewed records that 1,509 schools and daycare centers submitted to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality as a part of the agency’s Lead Testing in School and Child Care Program.

Of the 1,509 schools that reported data, 1,175 (nearly 78%) identified lead levels above 1 part per billion (ppb), the standard recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, as measured at a minimum of one tap. 

“Lead in school drinking water is a pervasive problem in Texas. That’s bad news for our children’s developing brains,” said Luke Metzger, executive director of both Environment Texas and its research & policy center. “We send our kids to school to learn and grow. We should not tolerate them being exposed to a poison which could cost them IQ points or cause behavioral problems.” 

Environment Texas called on the state legislature to provide significant funding to help districts purchase lead-filtering hydration stations and filters for other outlets used for cooking or drinking water. 

Environment Texas bills itself as a nonprofit advocate for clean air and water, parks and wildlife, and a livable climate.