Drinking water at most Oakland schools now meets safety thresholds, officials say

"Drinking water sources at 70 of OUSD's 76 school sites are now testing below the district's standard of 5 parts per billion, staff said Thursday. Over the summer, OUSD reported that it completed testing of all school water fountains, filtered water stations, and kitchen sinks, collecting 6,781 samples. All but eight of the district's kitchen sinks are now functional and testing below the threshold for repair, said Nilufar Abdul, OUSD's assistant project manager for systems and services."

"Last year, routine water testing in OUSD revealed elevated lead levels in drinking water at dozens of school sites. In some cases, lead levels were 10 or 20 times higher than OUSD's permitted amount of 5 parts per billion. Much of the testing happened in the spring and summer of 2024, but students, families, and staff weren't notified until August, when the district began posting test results revealing the scope of the problem."

Drinking water at 70 of the district's 76 school sites now tests below the district standard of 5 parts per billion. OUSD completed testing of all water fountains, filtered stations, and kitchen sinks, collecting 6,781 samples. All but eight kitchen sinks are functional and below the repair threshold. Staff reported consistent, measurable progress and pledged continued work to provide safer drinking water for students and staff. Earlier routine testing revealed elevated lead levels at dozens of schools, sometimes 10 to 20 times above the permitted level. Notifications to families and staff occurred months after much of the testing. Lead exposure poses developmental risks to children.

Read at oaklandside.org