San Diego

New List of Schools in SDUSD Lead Testing Process

What to Know

  • The second largest school district in the state is working with the City of San Diego to collect samples from 5 schools a day
  • The water at all schools, including charter schools on SDUSD property, will be tested by the end of the school year
  • Samples will be collected Tuesday through Saturday since there are rules that water can't be sitting too long before testing

NBC 7 has learned the names of 18 more schools that have had water samples taken in the school district's plan to test water at all schools on district property before the end of the school year.

Included in this week's list of schools are ALBA San Diego, Garfield and Patrick Henry high schools along with Roosevelt and Pershing middle schools and a number of elementary schools and charter schools located on district property.

San Diego Unified School District is publishing test results for each school here.

NBC 7 is mapping the schools and the results. Parents can view how the testing is going and click on each location for updates and links to test results.

As schools test for lead in their drinking water, they are required by the state to fix problems if they discover lead in water at levels greater than 15 parts per billion (ppb).

One elementary school in San Ysidro found lead in its water at more than 200 ppb and it replaced its pipes and faucets.

Approximately 17 schools throughout the county have found lead between 5 ppb and 15 ppb - levels at which they are not required to take action under state guidelines.

In 2009, California’s health department, OEHHA, set the public health goal for lead in drinking water at 0.2 parts per billion.

The California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG) and the American Academy of Pediatrics maintain there is no safe level of lead in drinking water provided to children.

Lead poisoning in children can cause symptoms ranging from headaches and hearing or speech problems to learning and behavioral problems or damage to the brain and nervous system.

The potential for lead contamination in the water supply is greater in buildings built before 1986, according to health, water and city experts.

There are 447 schools across San Diego County built before 1986.

See our map of schools where the risk is greater here.

NBC 7 is gathering our coverage of concerns regarding drinking water in our special section "Safe to Drink?' here.

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