Watch Scott Taylor of WJLA report on lead in water contamination at PGCPS and other Montgomery County Schools.
What can parents do?
1. Call for 0 ppt as the allowable lead limit in schools.
2. Call for the county to prioritize this issue and get expert help on how to address this problem.
3. Inform the parents. Stop making it seem like the county is ensuring safe water when they are not.
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Monday, November 13, 2017
Monday Night at 11:00 WLJA News Report on Lead in PGCPS Water Fountains
Monday Night at 11:00 WLJA News Report on Lead in PGCPS Water Fountains
I am thankful to share that on Monday night WJLA with Investigative Reporter Scott Taylor will run a major report on the lead contamination in PG County School water fountains.
So far the county has failed to adequately address the issue. They are still allowing unsafe levels of lead in the water. They have NOT informed parents or staff of the serious issue at hand and are minimizing the situation. They are presenting information that makes it seem like they are addressing it when in reality they are NOT dealing with the lead levels.
What Level of Lead is SAFE in Classroom Water Fountains? Prince George's County Public Schools and the EPA Differ
Prince George's County Water is Not Safe.
Q: What do our health agencies say about what a safe level of lead is in our water?
A: The EPA, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC state there is no safe level and 0 ppb is the health standard. This means only 0 ppt is safe. However current regulations do not enforce this health based standard. Instead the only law we have states that schools need to be under 20 ppt and water to homes needs to be 15ppb and under . These 25 year old regulations do not ensure safety for our school children.
Q: What do our health agencies say about what a safe level of lead is in our water?
A: The EPA, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC state there is no safe level and 0 ppb is the health standard. This means only 0 ppt is safe. However current regulations do not enforce this health based standard. Instead the only law we have states that schools need to be under 20 ppt and water to homes needs to be 15ppb and under . These 25 year old regulations do not ensure safety for our school children.
0 ppb: EPA Health Limit- Maximum Contaminant Level Goal- A Health Standard- for Lead in Water Limit
Read it here EPA DRINKING WATER STANDARDS AND HEALTH ADVISORIES TABLE https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-09/documents/dwstandards2012.pdf
The COEHHA revised the state's public health goal for drinking water to 0.2 parts per billion, a fraction of the threshold established by the EPA. "A revised Public Health Goal (PHG) of 0.2 ppb (or 0.2 µg/L) for lead in drinking water is established, on the basis of new studies relating neurobehavioral deficits to lower lead concentrations in the blood than previously reported."
Read it here https://oehha.ca.gov/media/downloads/water/chemicals/phg/leadfinalphg042409_0.pdf
below 1 ppb: American Academy of Pediatrics Recommends below 1 ppb for Schools.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Report on prevention of Lead Toxicity states "state and local governments should take steps to ensure water fountains in schools do not exceed water lead concentrations of 1ppb." Please download the AAP report by clicking here
0.2 ppt California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (COEHHA)The COEHHA revised the state's public health goal for drinking water to 0.2 parts per billion, a fraction of the threshold established by the EPA. "A revised Public Health Goal (PHG) of 0.2 ppb (or 0.2 µg/L) for lead in drinking water is established, on the basis of new studies relating neurobehavioral deficits to lower lead concentrations in the blood than previously reported."
Read it here https://oehha.ca.gov/media/downloads/water/chemicals/phg/leadfinalphg042409_0.pdf
References:
20-5000 ppb: Prince George’s County Fountains were turned off 2009- 2011 with these lead levels.
- Parents were not notified. Read lettters from PGCPS documenting this here http://leadinpgcpswater.blogspot.com/2017/03/prince-georges-county-parents-were-not.html And https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_kxgDa6MzAcZEppNGgxZDRvUVU/view
20 ppb: EPA Recommends School Water Fountains Be Taken Out of Service at this level.
Read it here
EPA: 3Ts for Reducing Lead in in Schools
15-20 ppb: Prince George’s County Public Schools considers this “safe. ”
PGCPS has not been clear if they turned off fountains at 15 or 20 ppb but fountains with levels under 15 remained on.
- In a 2016 letter PGCPS wrote stating that they were using the EPA action level of 15 ppb. In yet another letter they wrote stating they were using the action letter of 20 ppb. I have that detailed in full here. So we do not know which lead contaminant action level they been using for the last half decade? 15 or 20 ppb? In the most recent 2017 statement they wrote that in 2004 “2,516 (approximately 90%) found to be at or above the 20 parts per billion (ppb) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) action level” and that “through follow-up quality control sampling, 87 fixtures were immediately remediated, retested and cleared for use” . The statement also states that in 2009 “5,238 (approximately 30%) found to be at or above the 20 ppb EPA action level and “Exempt fixtures, including hose bibs, lavatory faucets and custodial utility sinks, were removed from the total number of fixtures that tested above action level.” and “Fixtures that tested above EPA-recommended levels were taken out of service”. So it seems like the action level used by PGCPS was in fact- 20 ppb.
15 ppb: EPA 1991 Lead in Water Limit set over 25 years ago in 1991 for corrosion control- NOT a health standard. Read it here https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi?Dockey=P10058C5.txt
10 ppb: Prince George’s County Public Schools will ensure all new school construction is below this level in 2017 statement.
- The PGCPS water quality page states that “During the construction of new schools, the water will be tested at the property line and from all drinking water sources. Any water that tests above 10 parts per billion (ppb) will be remediated.”
5 ppb: FDA limit for amount of lead allowed in bottled water.
Washington DC Public Schools Lead in Water Limit Read Washington Post article on DC Schools here. http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/news/article/20782859/dc-tested-public-schools-water-for-lead-more-than-60-had-high-levels
1 ppb: American Academy of Pediatrics Recommends below 1 ppb for Schools.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Report on prevention of Lead Toxicity states "state and local governments should take steps to ensure water fountains in schools do not exceed water lead concentrations of 1ppb." Please download the AAP report by clicking here
0 ppb: EPA Maximum Contaminant Level Goal- A Health Standard- for Lead in Water Limit
Read it here EPA DRINKING WATER STANDARDS AND HEALTH ADVISORIES TABLE https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-09/documents/dwstandards2012.pdf
“Exposure to even low levels of lead can cause low IQ, hearing impairment, reduced attention span, and poor classroom performance.”
Read it here https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi?Dockey=P10058C5.txt
CDC reiterates the key message from the 2004 article: because no safe blood level has been identified for young children, all sources of lead exposure for children should be controlled or eliminated.
CDC reiterates the key message from the 2004 article: because no safe blood level has been identified for young children, all sources of lead exposure for children should be controlled or eliminated.
Sunday, November 12, 2017
Tall Oaks Vocational High Lead in Water Contamination Prince George's County Public School
Tall Oaks Vocational High Lead in Water Contamination 
Maya Angelou French Immersion Lead Contamination in Water PGCPS Schools
There is no safe level of lead
Judith P. Hoyer Montessori @ Oakcrest (OCJH) Lead Contamination in Water
Any number over 1ppb is harmful to the developing brain. There is no safe level of lead.
This is a screen save from the lead in water tests done in September.
This is a screen save from the lead in water tests done in September.
Concord Elementary Prince George's County Schools Water is Lead Contaminated. Do Not Drink the Water
Have parents been informed? When was the water turned off?
