elemental333 t1_j3utt0f wrote on January 11, 2023 at 5:13 AM

And this doesn't even mention the issue of high amounts of lead in the water in Baltimore City AND the surrounding counties...that is so high that lots of schools have had to completely remove their water fountains (this specifically has happened in at least Anne Arundel, Baltimore County, and Baltimore City). In 2018, 19 schools within my county (some literally 5 minutes away from my home) tested too high for lead and had to have water outlets shut off. One school in my same suburb/city had 71 separate, individual water outlets that had to be immediately shut off because they were tested at over 20pbb (EPA guideline).

In Maryland, we have zipcodes that are considered to be at-risk for lead exposure and part of Maryland law is before sending a child to daycare and/or public school, if you live in one of the MANY zipcodes listed, you have to get their blood tested for lead. We never drink straight tap water (always filtered) and have tested our water multiple times, but the concern is always there.

suckitlikealollypop t1_j3wifqj wrote on January 11, 2023 at 3:36 PM

This is news to me, thanks. Apparently the action level is now 5pbb, in AACO anyway. It’s sad that you can’t even drink water at school without worry. My kids school isn’t even on the water report list for some reason so now I have that to worry about.. I want to check my tap water too!

[deleted] t1_j3vcg62 wrote on January 11, 2023 at 8:45 AM

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Dolly_gale t1_j3zdoer wrote on January 12, 2023 at 2:33 AM

Fine point: but it doesn't sound like there is lead in the water so much as there are old metal fixtures (like old water faucets) at the schools that contain lead. Lead used to be used as solder to join pipes together, and it used to be more common in metal alloys. Water dissolves some of it if it remains in contact with the surface for a long time (like when the water hasn't been run in an empty school over the weekend). Usually samples at schools are collected at a time to see the "worst case scenario" of water that's been sitting still in contact with pipes and fixtures.

It's a problem that needs to be addressed. However, it doesn't mean that the water going to the schools has an unsafe level of lead in it.

elemental333 t1_j401ew0 wrote on January 12, 2023 at 5:49 AM

Any plumbing/metal plumbing fixtures that were installed prior to 1978 (that have not been renovated) are very likely to have lead…and it’s not just water fixtures, but also corrosion from lead service pipes leading into buildings that are still an issue. Maryland is a very old state, so there has been a lot of work to do. Since Maryland has been strict with lead testing and removing lead fixtures starting in the early 1990’s, the lead exposure rates have gone down drastically, but there’s still a lot of work to do.

And yes, the mandate specified water had to be tested after sitting in the pipes between 8-18 hours. A worst case scenario is still important to test…the kid who gets dropped off to school first every day and immediately needs a drink of water still matters.