Schools in Spokane and across the state testing their water for lead

SPOKANE, Wash. — Parents and staff at Hamblen Elementary received an alarming email Tuesday. The Washington Department of Health tested the school’s water fixtures and found one fixture contained levels of lead unsuitable for drinking.

Hamblen Elementary isn’t the only school being tested for lead and not the only one that found lead in its fixtures.

Lead is a natural metal that can be found in our drinking water. At low enough levels, it is safe to drink.

“The aquifer is where we get our water from here in Spokane and lead is a mineral that’s found in the ground. It is introduced into the buildings through the water system,” said maintenance supervisor Kevin Grimm.

Over time, lead can build up in our water fixtures, causing the amount of lead to rise to unsafe levels.

“The lead is trapped in that fixture because it’s like the end of the run of water and it has nowhere else to go,” Grimm said.

This is why the Department of Health is requiring all K-12 public schools in Washington built before or had plumbing replaced before 2016 to be tested for lead. It is testing any water faucets used in food prep as well as any faucets from where people drink. If any of the faucets come back with a high enough lead level, Spokane Public Schools said it turns that faucet off the next day.

“As soon as we heard about it, we started the process,” Grimm said. “We’re remedying them so fast. We find them and either shut the water off or we’ll make them hand-washing only so you can’t drink the water. The only way to get lead in your system is through your mouth.”

While the Department of Health says drinking water is not the main cause of high lead levels, if you are worried your child may have been exposed, the best thing to do is get a blood lead test from your healthcare provider.

You can find out whether your child’s school has been tested for lead on the Department of Health’s website.