Over 100 Delaware schools violate lead water standards

Sports Director

Lead levels in drinking water continues to be a problem for many public schools throughout Delaware.

Over 100 Delaware public schools combined to have nearly 500 different sources of water test for lead levels beyond Delaware's "action level".

Delaware has a tolerance of 7.5 parts per billion (ppb), which is stricter than the 15ppb level established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, although both organizations state their true goal is 0.

Elevated lead levels can lead to behavior and learning problems in children, a lower IQ, slowed growth, hearing problems, and anemia.

A recent bill passed through the Delaware legislature and signed by Governor Carney mandates a school lead testing program begin before January 1, 2024 on the heels of an initial round of tests in 2020 showed 47 different public and charter schools tested above the acceptable levels.

This round of testing began in December 2022, and ran through April of this year, with about 10,000 unique faucets and water sources being tested.

Some schools had multiple problems, led by Castle Hills Elementary of the Red Clay School District, that had 37 different water fountains or faucets exceed the 7.5ppb standard.

Red Clay's Heritage Elementary had 23 lead violations, Capital's Towne Pointe Elementary had 21 different stations exceed the limits, Colonial's Wallace Wallin School and Christina's McVey Elementary each had 19

Sixteen districts had at least one violation, with the highest amounts coming from a classroom sink faucet at the Wallin school that registered 5,400 ppb, or 720 times the acceptable limit.

A kitchen faucet at Baltz Elementary checked in at 4,400 ppb, or 586 times Delaware's lead standard.

Schools say they are working on correcting the problems, with Appoquinimink's sole violation at Lorewood Grove Elementary sparking a letter to the school community saying they took the kitchen fixture off line until a replacement could be installed.

Christina said they turned off 9 water fountains inside classrooms at Wilson Elementary due to lead levels.

You can find a complete list of the 13,294 tests (some duplicated at the same site) on Delaware's website, with the option to search by district and school.

The following schools all had sites that tested at least 10x (75ppb) over Delaware's recommended levels for lead remediation during the most recent round of testing.

Cape Henlopen

Capital

Christina

Colonial

Indian River

Laurel

New Castle Vo-Tech

Sussex Vo-Tech

Red Clay

In addition to the schools listed above, the following other schools had at least one faucet cross the 7.5ppb Delaware lead threshold:

Appoquinimink

Brandywine

Caesar Rodney

Cape Henlopen

Capital

Charter

Christina

Colonial

Delmar

Indian River

Laurel

New Castle Vo-Tech

Polytech

Red Clay

Seaford

Smyrna

Woodbridge

Drinking water at 47 Delaware public and charter schools tested above accepted standards for…

Sports Director

WDEL Sports Director & News/Trafficwatch Reporter. National Sports Media Association's Delaware Sportscaster of the Year (2013).