Newsday has found that levels of lead exceed the New York state standard in several of its school districts. Long Island, in particular, had the most fixtures (i.e. water fountains, ice machines, classroom sinks, etc.) exceeding the state’s standard for school drinking water of 5 parts per billion. Medical research shows that there is no safe level of consumption of lead. Newsday reports that the children of these school districts could have been exposed to harmful amounts of lead for several years, which impacts them more than adults since their brains are developing and their bodies naturally absorb more lead. Consumption of lead can cause learning difficulties, behavior changes, and even brain damage. The state has been working for years at reducing the presence of lead; it banned lead plumbing and solder in 1968 and and since 2011, a faucet or fixture is considered “lead free” if it contains less than 0.25% lead, down from the previous limit of 8%.

In Syracuse, the limit of lead used is the federal one of 15 ppb. The most recent levels are 12 ppb, which puts them above the EPA’s new 2027 limit of 10 ppb. The city is actively replacing lead pipes, with this year’s goal of replacing 2,900 of the total 14,000-17,000 lead service lines that it plans on replacing.