As the new school year begins, Oakland is carrying out an aggressive strategy to limit lead in water by expanding water testing, installing filtered water stations and adopting a lead limit of 5 parts per billion, lower than the state and federal limit of 15 parts per billion.
Oakland Unified is among the California districts that have adopted lead limits for their drinking water that are more stringent than those in a new state law that requires part per billion standard, the only level health advocates say is safe.
San Diego Unified has adopted a 5 parts per billion limit and is looking to borrow $45 million to further lower its lead standard to 1 part per billion by 2020.
An EdSource analysis of test results found 24 schools in Oakland, and 150 throughout California, with lead levels in water sources over 15 parts per billion.
But testing also revealed that 46 schools in Oakland — just over one-third of those tested — had lead levels between 5 and 15 parts per billion.
Since then, tests have identified 12 schools where a water outlet had lead levels above 15 parts per billion, out of 234 schools where tests have been conducted.
Tests recorded lead levels between 5 and 15 parts per billion at 45 San Diego schools.
Naji, the San Diego Unified spokesman, said repair work at fixtures that tested over 5 parts per billion is ongoing, as are more extensive tests of the district’s water sources.
Push for districts to adopt lower lead levels Rusch said CALPIRG is encouraging “dozens of districts” that still rely on the 15 parts per billion standard, including San Francisco Unified and Los Angeles Unified, to adopt more stringent lead policies.
Of the district’s 20 schools, three tested over 15 parts per billion and three others had lead levels between 1 and 5 parts per billion; the rest were under 1 part per billion.