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San Diego Unified School District developing a plan to address lead levels

Posted at 6:24 PM, Jun 29, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-29 22:11:29-04

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -  The results are in, and most of the water at schools in San Diego Unified is lead free.

According to district officials, 94 percent of the schools that were tested have no detectable levels of lead in the water.

“We definitely feel that we’ve been proactive,” said School Board President Richard Barrera. “It’s been in response to a positive test that came up at Emerson-Bandini, but I think what’s important now is that we are stepping up and we’re taking every possible action that we can take.”

Two campuses and three schools had lead results above the states established action level.

The district's website notes “If school samples have a test result of greater than 15 parts per billion (ppb), the outlet has a lead level that exceeds the Action Level established by the State Water Resources Control Board via the Division of Drinking Water and will be removed from service.”

Repairs at Emerson-Bandini are complete while the investigation and remediation at Birney is ongoing.

At a press conference Thursday, district officials said about half the student population at Birney Elementary got blood tests after the lead scare. They say no one tested positive for lead.

“We feel that we’re on top of the situation and that our kids are not going to be exposed to any harmful levels in their drinking water,” Barrera said.

Testing at schools across the district testing detected lead levels at 36 more schools, but below the action level.

Officials say they have directed staff to develop a plan to take action at those schools.

“I don’t think there’s any safe amount of lead that we want in the water for our children,” said School Board Vice President Kevin Beiser.

Beiser says a plan go back into schools with detectable levels of lead will be presented to the school board in July.