Water Banned In New Jersey Schools Amid Lead Scare

Officials banned water service at public schools in Newark after testing showed elevated lead levels.

“The district, Newark Public Schools, told the State Department of Environmental Protection on [March 7] that annual testing found concentrations ranging from undetected to above the department’s action level for lead, which is 15 parts per billion. That level requires additional testing, monitoring and remediation,” the Associated Press reported.

The department said in a statement that “no building had more than four samples above the action level.” It asked for additional data so it could do a complete analysis.

Water fountains at 30 school buildings, nearly half the buildings in the district, were shut off, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing the state.

“Classes weren’t canceled, and the state and county delivered potable water for drinking and food preparation, officials said. The school district serves 35,000 students in one of the state’s poorest cities,” the report said. “The district discovered the issue after staff members at the Louise A. Spencer Elementary School in Newark noticed discoloration in the school’s water last week.”

The school district had this to say in a statement:

In close coordination with the State and with assistance from Essex County, the District has also identified and delivered alternate supplies of water for drinking and food preparation as classes continue.

In close coordination with the State and with assistance from Essex County, the District has also identified and delivered alternate supplies of water for drinking and food preparation as classes continue.

Newark officials are trying to keep locals from panicking about their water.

"We are confident to say that the water source in Newark is fine. There are a few issues at the schools. And they are elevated," Mayor Ras Baraka said, per CNN. "We are dealing with it.

He said the lead levels are not "elevated to the level of Flint.”

Why is Newark’s water showing high lead levels? NJ Spotlight explained:

The high levels of lead probably were a result of old lead plumbing, service lines, and lead solder from the street to the buildings, according to officials. For the past few years, Newark has been adding a corrosive agent to drinking water to prevent lead leaching from the fixtures. It also has installed filters on water fountains.

To read more about lead issues, visit Water Online’s Drinking Water Contaminant Removal Solutions Center.