DETROIT – Detroit public schools will start the year using bottled water in every school after tests revealed elevated lead and copper levels in the drinking water.
The Detroit Public Schools Community District conducted tests on all facets at schools.
The water coming from DWSD passed the standard, but fixtures and lines caused elevated levels at some of the schools.
Here’s what Detroit Public Schools Community District Superintendent Nikolai P. Vitti said in a letter: I initiated water testing of all of our school buildings during the spring to ensure the safety of our students and employees.
This past week initial results were returned for 24 schools and higher than acceptable levels were identified for copper and/or lead in 16 schools at one or more water sources.
I made the decision to shut off all drinking fountains and provide bottled water and water coolers to those schools at that time because of my concerns with water quality despite the intervention.
Although we have no evidence that there are elevated levels of copper or lead in our other schools (over 50) where we are awaiting test results, out of an abundance of caution and concern for the safety of our students and employees, I am turning off all drinking water in our schools until a deeper and broader analysis can be conducted to determine the long-term solutions for all schools.
I have communicated this decision to the Mayor’s Office and the Mayor and his team are supportive of the decision and intend to require all city charter schools to participate in the same level of water testing as we initiated last year.
That was nearly a year after testing found 19 out of 62 buildings in the district had elevated lead and copper levels in drinking water.
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