The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) surveyed school districts across the country on testing for lead in drinking water.
Here is a brief summary of the findings:
“An estimated 43 percent of school districts, serving 35 million students, tested for lead in school drinking water in 2016 or 2017, according to GAO’s nationwide survey of school districts. An estimated 41 percent of school districts, serving 12 million students, had not tested for lead. GAO’s survey showed that, among school districts that did test, an estimated 37 percent found elevated lead (lead at levels above their selected threshold for taking remedial action. All school districts that found elevated lead in drinking water reported taking steps to reduce or eliminate exposure to lead, including replacing water fountains, installing filters or new fixtures, or providing bottled water.”