Lead Levels High In Almost 2,000 Water Systems Across All 50 States

"While a harsh national spotlight focuses on the drinking water crisis in Flint, Mich., a USA TODAY NETWORK investigation has identified almost 2,000 additional water systems spanning all 50 states where testing has shown excessive levels of lead contamination over the past four years.

The water systems, which reported lead levels exceeding Environmental Protection Agency standards, collectively supply water to 6 million people. About 350 of those systems provide drinking water to schools or day cares. The USA TODAY NETWORK investigation also found at least 180 of the water systems failed to notify consumers about the high lead levels as federal rules require.

Many of the highest reported lead levels were found at schools and day cares. A water sample at a Maine elementary school was 42 times higher than the EPA limit of 15 parts per billion, while a Pennsylvania preschool was 14 times higher, records show. At an elementary school in Ithaca, N.Y., one sample tested this year at a stunning 5,000 ppb of lead, the EPA’s threshold for “hazardous waste.”"

Alison Young and Mark Nichols report for USA TODAY March 17, 2016.

SEE ALSO:

"Lead Taints Drinking Water In Hundreds Of Schools, Day Cares Across USA" (USA TODAY)

"A Legal Loophole Might Be Exposing Children To Lead In The Nation’s Schools" (Washington Post)

"It’s Not Just Flint. Lead Taints Water Across The U.S., EPA Records Show" (Washington Post)

"Newark School System Set To Test Children For Lead" (Reuters)