Update on the lead in school water pipes: More widespread than expected
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
Eugene, Oregon
June 30, 2016 3:40pm CST
I wrote back on the first of June about lead found in Portland, Oregon schools' water pipes. It now seems that the more they test, the more they find. In that city, the estimated cost to remedy the problem is seven million dollars. Some teachers have been tested too, and had elevated levels of lead in their systems.
Here in Eugene, much testing is being done in schools and other public buildings, lead has been found and bottled water was being handed out before school was over for the year.
If I had children or grandchildren in schools anywhere in the US built prior to the 1980s, I would be talking to school boards and health departments about testing for lead. This is probably a widespread undetected problem.
12 people like this
14 responses
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
30 Jun 16
I am concerned that it is being swept under the rug and not dealt with in too many places.
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
30 Jun 16
oh my :( the majority'f the schools 'round here date back to the 1950's, so's such'd not surprise me. i dunno if'n they've done any testin'? presume so, since they've done many upgrades.
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
30 Jun 16
Yes, I am afraid that the problem is being ignored in too many places.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
30 Jun 16
@JamesHxstatic our countries infrastructure's been ignored fer so many years now :( 't the cost'f folks health 'n the need fer more taxpayer dollars to be gathered.
@sallypup (57812)
• Centralia, Washington
30 Jun 16
I also wonder about houses. We have tons of houses here that were built in the 50s. The siding is asbestos I believe. One man who started to work on the house we had in town said there was aluminum siding slapped over old stuff and if he went further into it he'd have to wear protective gear.
1 person likes this
@sallypup (57812)
• Centralia, Washington
30 Jun 16
@JamesHxstatic We know a lady who has 4 or 5 kids. The baby in the family was having major issues and the doc said it had to do with lead- kids eat whatever they pick up on the ground etc. They live in a poor area of town. The other kid has ADHD big time so I wonder about him.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
30 Jun 16
@sallypup That is so unfortunate for her and for the kids.
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
30 Jun 16
That is another dangerous problem facing many areas.
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
1 Jul 16
Here in the Spokane area a news crew filed for a freedom of information for all the schools in the area to receive the information on lead in the pipes. All the schools were tested and they all came back clean.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
1 Jul 16
That is great and hard to believe too.
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
1 Jul 16
@JamesHxstatic Yes, not only the schools in the Spokane area but also the schools in Northern Idaho all tested was well under the limits.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
30 Jun 16
Good question on the bottled water. I am always suspicious that it is just tap water bottled and sold.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
1 Jul 16
@JudyEv Not so much I am thinking. Sounds like a bad idea.
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@JudyEv (325594)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Jul 16
@JamesHxstatic I know it's different but in Nepal Vince saw cafe workers filling bottles from a tap. He was told only to buy bottled water where the seal was unbroken. And when Vince was at a school, the teachers wanted bottled water but if it wasn't kept in the dark it went green! How healthy could that have been?
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (158876)
• Boise, Idaho
1 Jul 16
I am glad they are getting on this. A person can get pretty sick.
@changjiangzhibin89 (16531)
• China
1 Jul 16
It is said that ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) proceeds from taking too much lead.
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
30 Jun 16
No, the cost to fix the problem is estimated at $7 million. We don't know how many are exposed.
