Many schools find elevated lead levels in at least 1 tap

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — A majority of Vermont schools that have tested their drinking water taps for lead have found at least one tap with elevated lead levels, the Vermont Health Department said.

The news came eight months after a law required schools and child care programs to do the tests. About 79% of the 168 schools that have gotten their test results have at least one tap with levels at or above 4 parts per billion, in which they are required to immediately stop using it, replace it or dismantle it, the department said Thursday.

Vermont's 440 public and independent schools and 1,200 child care programs are required to test the taps by the end of the year, the department said. The state is covering the testing costs and will reimburse schools for replacing fixtures, officials said.

“Lead poisoning is a serious, but preventable health problem,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine. “There is no safe level of lead in the body, which means we need to address the sources of lead where we find them.”