Georgia's schools get an "F" when it comes to lead contamination in their drinking water, and remediation is long overdue.
That was the consensus from experts participating in a webinar hosted by Environment Georgia on Oct. 26 during National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week. Panelists spoke about the need to ensure safer school drinking water for our children by using a free, statewide program to test for lead — a potent neurotoxin that affects how children learn, grow and behave.
“States are failing to make the grade when it comes to keeping lead out of drinking water at school" said Jennifer Duenas, Environment Georgia's clean water associate. "Georgia has no drinking water standard and no policy requiring testing."
Environment Georgia and our national network are advocating for a wide array of solutions to the problem, including removing all lead-containing pipes and plumbing parts from schools, increasing water bottle filling stations and large-scale upgrades to clean water infrastructure.
Watch the recorded webinar.
Lean more about our Get the Lead Out campaign.
Especially if your school was built before 2014, it is highly likely that the water fountains, faucets, and other parts contain significant amounts of lead. Test results can vary widely, but the risk is always there. Ask your local school officials to replace water outlets and install filters certified to remove lead.
In addition, we’re calling on all states to “get the lead out” of schools' drinking water. Please urge your governor to take strong action to protect our children’s health.
Photo: Medical experts estimate that more than 24 million American kids will lose IQ points due to lead exposure. Credit: Duplass via Shutterstock