Community voices concern over lead pipes in Oakland schools

OAKLAND, Calif. ( KRON ) — An Oakland school board meeting Wednesday lasted around six hours, with dozens of parents showing frustration and urging the Oakland Unified School District to do something regarding the toxic lead levels in their kids’ drinking water.

At the beginning of the school year, Oakland Unified said elevated lead levels were found in 186 water fixtures. This included water fountains, bottle filling stations, kitchen prep sinks and water sources in hallways and on playgrounds.

Across Oakland schools, handwritten “do not drink” signs have been posted above water fountains.

It’s unclear how long students have been exposed to the tainted water, but community advocates said that they want more testing to be done at Oakland schools, soil testing done on playgrounds and free blood testing that’ll check for lead for anyone who’s at risk.

Toxic levels of lead can cause a range of disorders, from behavioral problems to brain damage. The most common sources of lead in drinking water are lead pipes, faucets and plumbing fixtures.

President Joe Biden recently set a 10-year deadline for cities like Oakland to replace lead pipes. The funding of around $2.5 billion would come from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Nationwide, this is the strongest overhaul of its kind in roughly three decades, federal officials say.

Additional lead water testing is underway, according to school district officials.

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