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Safe to Drink?: San Marcos Schools Tested for Lead in Water

NBC 7 has learned three schools in the San Marcos Unified School District were involved in testing for lead levels in water provided to students on campus. Of the three schools, one had a water fountain with lead levels higher than acceptable, district officials confirmed Tuesday.

The district recently tested the water at three schools including Alvin Dunn Elementary, Richland Elementary, and San Marcos Middle School.

"Of the samples, only one came back with a 'higher than acceptable' level - a drinking fountain outside the gym at San Marcos Middle, which was immediately removed," the district told NBC 7. "The district is currently having the water tested at all locations in order to ensure that the water used by our students, staff, and community is safe."

NBC 7 has been reporting on the testing of water at various schools within San Diego County.

School districts are requesting water testing after dangerous levels of lead were discovered at a San Ysidro elementary school. Test results in October and in January prompted school officials in San Ysidro to provide bottled water for students and employees.

Health experts have said the schools most likely to have unsafe levels of lead in drinking water are those built before 1986.

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