School districts across Snohomish County are gearing up for more frequent testing of lead levels in drinking fountains.
Recent reports of high lead levels found in some Seattle public school drinking fountains have prompted a call for more testing in schools across the state.
Gov. Gary Locke called for more monitoring Wednesday as he unveiled a $1 million program to test drinking fountains in the state’s elementary schools.
Children 5 and under are at the highest risk for lead exposure, which can lead to learning disabilities and nervous system damage.
Although Snohomish County schools have not recently recorded elevated lead levels in drinking water, many are planning to test more frequently.
Districts across Snohomish County report their most recent lead levels from fountains have been lower than the federal Environmental Protection Agency limits of 20 parts per billion.
In the Edmonds district, testing has been done on request. There have been three requests at three buildings in the last four years.
“We have never exceeded primary drinking water standards for lead,” said Debbie Jakala, a school district spokeswoman.
Everett uses a guide of 15 parts per billion of lead levels in water and has remained well below that threshold.
The Marysville School District has conducted more than 1,000 water quality tests since 1991. As a result, in the early 1990s, it replaced lead-lined coolers in several fountains with equipment that meets the standards.
Its testing has also included hand-washing sinks. At fixtures with elevated levels, the district has placed stickers advising people to let the water run for 15 seconds to improve the water quality.
Some districts test specific schools more frequently than others.
For instance, Trafton Elementary School east of Arlington is tested monthly because it relies on well water.
Darrington High School, which relies on a boiler for heating, is also tested routinely.
The Monroe and Snohomish school districts also plan to increase tests.
“The (Seattle) situation has definitely raised our interest as well as the interest of our community,” said Rosemary O’Neil, a spokeswoman for the Monroe School District. The district plans to increase testing.
The Snohomish School District is planning annual tests to give parents peace of mind.
“It’s partly what happened in Seattle,” said Shannon Parthemer, a Snohomish spokeswoman. The district plans to conduct annual tests. “The main reason comes down to we want to make sure the water is safe.”
The renewed attention to the issue could have a longer lasting effect, said Joel Thaut, superintendent of the Granite Falls School District. “My guess is it will become part of (annual) insurance company safety inspections,” he said.
Gov. Locke said Wednesday that he is allocating $750,000 in state money to help test for lead in the elementary school drinking fountains across Washington with districts pitching in the remaining $250,000.
Locke said the state has no known cases of lead poisoning caused by drinking water.
“Even though kids are at much higher risk from lead in paint in their homes, and in soil, parents must feel confident that the water their children are drinking at school is safe,” he said. “I, as a parent, want to know that the water they drink in school is safe.”
There is debate in the medical community about the potential health risk from the lead levels in Seattle’s elementary school drinking fountains.
Dr. William Robertson, medical director for the Seattle-based Washington Poison Center for several decades, said people should not become overly alarmed.
Lead levels in children have been steadily declining since lead was phased out of gasoline, he said.
Washington has the third lowest percentage of children 6 years old and younger with elevated blood lead levels, according to records compiled by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Washington state Childhood Blood Lead Registry shows that about 7 percent of Washington children are tested for lead poisoning before age 6. Of that figure, 1.3 percent of the children have elevated blood lead levels.
Reporter Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446 or stevick@heraldnet.com.
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