ROCHESTER — About 11 percent of water fountains tested in 22 Rochester city schools exceed guidelines the Environment Protection Agency has set for levels of lead.
The results of the ongoing testing show that 98 out of 881 drinking-water fixtures indicated lead levels higher than the EPA’s 20 parts per billion safety threshold, according to information from the Rochester City School District. The district last tested water in 2006 and found less than 10 percent of fixtures exceeding the threshold.
The district planned to notify all parents and address the lead in the fixtures or remove them from use by the time students return to school Sept. 7, officials said. Students participating in summer programs at four of the schools identified as having lead issues will receive bottled water to drink.
Data on the number of fixtures affected at each school will be made available after the testing process is complete, officials said.
