WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – Is the water in New York schools safe to drink?
A new report released by the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG), in partnership with Environment America and the Frontier Group, reveals widespread lead contamination across school drinking water outlets statewide, with Jefferson, St. Lawrence, and Lewis counties showing some of the highest rates of elevated lead levels in the state.
According to the report, 42% of schools across New York face challenges with lead detected in their drinking water systems.
State Standards and Health Risks
New York State enforces a strict lead action level of 5 parts per billion (ppb) for school drinking water outlets, significantly lower than the federal 15 ppb standard for public municipal water systems, due to the severe developmental risks lead poses to young children.
“We now know that there’s no safe threshold of lead exposure, particularly for children,” said Blair Homer, Executive Director of NYPIRG. “The analysis is really to look at what we find in schools based on that data.”
How Local School Districts Are Responding
Despite the report’s statewide warnings, North Country school officials emphasize that strict safety and remediation protocols are already actively enforced whenever testing reveals elevated lead levels:
Jefferson-Lewis BOCES: District officials stated that any fixture testing above the 5 ppb threshold, including sinks and drinking fountains, is immediately removed from service for drinking and food preparation until remediated. Clear signage is posted notifying students and staff not to consume water from those outlets.Watertown Central School District: Representatives confirmed to 7 News that the district remains committed to safe drinking water access across all facilities and is actively pursuing state grant funding to replace aging fixtures and plumbing lines.Carthage Central School District: Officials noted the district takes immediate corrective action whenever any outlet tests above the state threshold.
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