Students at six Detroit schools have been drinking bottled water for weeks since tests revealed dangerous levels of lead or copper in the schools’ water fountains.
But retesting this year again discovered elevated levels of metals, and Detroit’s main district shut off water fountains and brought in bottled water.
The district initially discovered lead and copper in water pipes in aging district schools when it started testing water in 2016, a move prompted by the Flint water crisis.
Parents at the six schools have been notified, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti informed board members in a memo last month.
“We are proactively testing the water at all of our schools even though this is not required by federal, state, or local laws.” A facility review of district buildings will be shared with the community later this month, Vitti’s statement said, and will “define our district’s facility challenges moving forward.” The six affected elementary and middle schools schools are J.E.
While she’s grateful the district voluntarily tests the water and informs parents and students, Burton International Academy’s PTA President Dana Dacres said the water shutoff has been a great inconvenience for students, teachers and staff.
“I’m concerned about all our children in these buildings,” he said.
Lead exposure can cause serious damage to children’s developing brains, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, and there is no safe level of exposure.
Studies show most lead exposure doesn’t immediately cause symptoms, but as the concentration of lead in the body rises, symptoms can include headaches, stomach pain, loss of appetite or constipation.
Detroit district buildings are undergoing a review of its building conditions, many of which are in serious disrepair.