LEAD (Paint/Water)

What does LEAD look like in schools?

Lead can be found in schools in two main places: drinking water and old paint. Understanding where you might encounter lead is the first step to protecting children.

Lead in drinking water enters through the corrosion of plumbing materials—pipes, faucets, solder, and fixtures that contain lead. Schools built before 1986, when lead in plumbing was banned, are at higher risk, but even newer schools can have lead-leaching fixtures. Also, because schools are closed during periods like nights, weekends, and vacations, there’s an increased risk of water sitting stagnant for longer and absorbing more lead.

You’ll find lead in drinking fountains, especially older models. Classroom and cafeteria faucets used for drinking or food preparation can have lead. Water coolers connected to building plumbing and pipes throughout the building can all be sources.

Lead-based paint was banned for residential use in 1978, but many school buildings constructed before that date still contain it. When lead paint deteriorates—through peeling, chipping, chalking, or friction from doors and windows—it creates lead dust and paint chips that children can ingest or inhale.

Watch for peeling, cracking, or flaking paint on walls, windowsills, doors, and trim. Look for chalky residue on painted surfaces. Notice paint chips on floors or windowsills. Pay attention to painted surfaces that get a lot of friction, like doors, windows, and stair railings. These are all warning signs of deteriorating lead paint.

When should I be concerned about LEAD?

There is no safe level of lead exposure for children. Even low levels can permanently harm brain development, reduce IQ, and cause behavioral problems, and those effects are permanent.

However, you can’t see, smell, or taste lead in water, and lead paint can hide “in plain sight,” which is why it’s so important to act quickly if you suspect lead contamination.

For lead in water, be concerned if your school was built before 1986, when lead in plumbing was banned. Ask when the water was last tested—if it hasn’t been tested within the past 1-3 years, that’s a red flag. Notice if the school still has original drinking fountains, faucets, or plumbing from before 1986. Recent plumbing work can disturb pipes and release accumulated lead. While lead itself is colorless and “invisible”, water discoloration may indicate pipe corrosion that could be releasing lead.

For lead paint, schools built before 1978 likely contain some lead-based paint. Any visible deterioration—peeling, chipping, or chalking paint in pre-1978 buildings—is cause for concern. Watch for renovations being done without proper precautions. Construction, sanding, or scraping that could disturb lead paint releases dangerous dust. General building disrepair suggesting deferred maintenance is also a warning sign that lead paint might be deteriorating unnoticed.

What kinds of health problems can lead cause?

Lead is a potent neurotoxin that is especially harmful to children. Their developing brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to lead’s damaging effects. Children’s bodies also absorb more lead per pound of body weight than adults do.

Remember, there is no known safe level of lead in children’s blood. Even blood lead levels below 3.5 µg/dL—the current CDC reference value—are associated with negative health effects.
In children, lead exposure can reduces IQ and make it harder to learn, leading to poor grades. It can behavioral problems like hyperactivity and trouble with self-control. It can also stunt growth, hurt hearing development, and delays in learning to talk. At very high levels, lead can cause seizures, coma, and death.

For adults, lead exposure can cause high blood pressure and heart disease, kidney damage, and reproductive problems—particularly concerning for anyone who is pregnant. Adults may experience memory and concentration difficulties.

Are there any government standards around Lead exposure?

Unfortunately, there is no federal requirement for most schools to test drinking water for lead (the exception is if the schools operate their own water system). State requirements vary: as of 2024, some states like California, Illinois, and Colorado require testing at schools, but many states have only voluntary testing programs. Contact your state health department to learn your state’s requirements.

The EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule sets a maximum of 10 ppb (parts per billion) of lead for public water systems. Anything higher than that requires intervention. The rule also requires water systems to offer testing at schools they serve. But here’s the catch: schools can decline testing.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a maximum of 1 ppb for lead in school drinking water. (That’s 10 times stricter than the EPA action level.) The FDA sets a standard of 5 ppb maximum for bottled water.

However, none of these standards should distract from the fact that no amount of lead is safe for children. All experts agree on this.

What kind of data resources are there about this?

National data on lead in schools is incomplete because testing is not universally required. But the data we do have reveals a widespread problem.

As of 2018, according to the Government Accountability Office, 41% of school districts had not tested water for lead at all. Among districts that did test, 37% found elevated lead levels. In states with testing programs, 44% of schools had at least one sample above local limits. A 2020 analysis found that 1,300 California schools tested positive for lead in drinking water. In North Carolina, 97% of childcare centers that tested had measurable lead levels.

The actual problem is likely worse than these numbers suggest. Many schools and states don’t test at all, some tests aren’t reliable or consistent, and some states only report results above certain thresholds. Plus, older schools with lead plumbing may not have been tested recently.

I think there might be Lead in a school building. What can I do?

Find out if your school has been tested—you have a right to know. Ask your principal or district facilities department for lead testing results. You have a right to know. Check your state’s department of health or environmental quality website, or search Environment America’s national map at environmentamerica.org/resources/lead-in-schools-water.

Learn when your school was built—buildings from before 1978 may have lead paint, and those from before 1986 may have lead plumbing. Understand your state’s requirements by contacting your state health department to learn what testing is required or available.

Document problems by taking photos of deteriorating paint, noting water discoloration, and keeping records of your concerns. Report to school administration—start with your principal and follow up in writing. If your school isn’t responsive, contact the district facilities department and escalate to district-level staff. Reach out to your state health department, which may be able to investigate or provide resources.

Attend school board meetings and raise the issue publicly. Ask what the district is doing to address lead. Request comprehensive testing at all water outlets used for drinking or cooking—not just a sample. Demand that test results be publicly available and proactively communicated to parents. Connect with other concerned parents and teachers—collective voices are louder. Support federal legislation like the Indoor Air Quality and Healthy Schools Act, which would strengthen EPA oversight. Contact your representatives and let them know this matters to you.
Send water from home if you’re unsure about school water quality. Ask about filtered water stations (filters certified to remove lead are effective). You can request that your child is tested for lead at their doctor’s appointments.

additional resources

  • The EPA’s 3Ts for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water provides comprehensive guidance on Training, Testing, and Taking Action for schools. Find it at epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/3ts-reducing-lead-drinking-water.
  • The EPA also offers Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools at epa.gov/iaq-schools with resources for managing school environmental health.
  • The CDC’s Lead Poisoning Prevention page at cdc.gov/lead-prevention has health information, screening recommendations, and prevention guidance. For immediate questions, call the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
  • The American Academy of Pediatrics has policy guidance on lead—search for “Prevention of Childhood Lead Toxicity” at aap.org.
  • The Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSUs) at pehsu.net are regional experts who can advise on children’s environmental health.
  • HealthyChildren.org offers AAP’s parent resources on lead and other child health topics.
    Environment America maintains a searchable database of school lead testing results at environmentamerica.org/resources/lead-in-schools-water.
  • The Environmental Working Group at ewg.org offers research and guidance on lead and other environmental hazards.
  • The Government Accountability Office publishes reports on lead in school drinking water—search at gao.gov.
  • Find a certified lab to test drinking water for lead using the EPA’s list at epa.gov/dwlabcert.
  • Look for water filters certified to remove lead (NSF/ANSI Standard 53) at nsf.org. The EPA’s Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule at epa.gov/lead/renovation-repair-and-painting-program explains requirements for safe work with lead paint.