Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Tests Of Public School Water Faucets In NYC That Were Found To Have Lead Show 9 Percent Still Have Unsafe Levels
The New York Times: More Than 1,100 School Faucets Still Have Lead, City Says
Lead contamination has been an ongoing crisis in New York City’s public housing, and the Education Department said on Tuesday that it continues to be an issue in schools as well. In a report, the department said that while it has made progress in eliminating lead in schools over the last year, more than 1,100 water fixtures in city school buildings still have lead levels above the 15 parts per billion threshold that the Environmental Protection Agency allows. (Shapiro, 9/11)
The Wall Street Journal: Nine Percent Of Fixtures That Showed Elevated Lead Still Having Problems In NYC Schools
The city has replaced many fixtures and pipes leading to them as well as taken other steps such as a weekly flushing protocol to prevent a buildup of lead in standing water. The city’s results stem from tests conducted in the 2016-17 school year, and retests in 2017-18, after repair efforts were made, of fixtures that initially showed elevated lead levels. City Department of Education officials said 99% of the roughly 142,000 potential drinking water fixtures in the city’s public schools tested at or below the state action level of 15 parts per billion. (Brody, 9/11)
