Detroit Public Schools To Turn Off Water Due To Elevated Levels Of Lead, Copper

Students will be returning to Detroit public schools next week with no water coming from the fountains after the most recent water quality tests conducted this year showed elevated levels of copper, lead, or both across some schools.

According to the New York Times, the district has recorded higher levels of led or copper in several schools since 2016, though it still remains unclear how many of the 106 schools are affected. Still, Superintendent Nikolai P. Vitti is taking no chances, deciding to turn off the water in all the schools.

The most recent round of testing conducted this year tested 24 schools, 16 came back with elevated levels of led, copper, or both. That brings the total number of schools with known water issues up to 35. It could take up to another month for all the schools’ results to come back, but Vitti is not waiting.

According to Vitti, there is nothing to indicate that students have suffered health problems because of the water. Students will still be able to wash their hands and flush the toilets, but drinking water will be provided through water bottles or coolers, rather than through fountains or sinks, reports the New York Times.

It is not clear how long the drinking water across the schools will be turned off.

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