TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (The News Service of Florida) - Saying current levels are unacceptable, healthcare and environmental activists are calling on the legislature to fix the amount of lead in Florida drinking water.
Following earlier tests of water fountains at schools in Tallahassee that showed high levels of lead, a group calling themselves Get the Lead Out recently tested eight drinking fountains at the state capitol building.
Four were found to have lead levels above one part per billion, an amount the American Academy of Pediatrics says creates health risks for children. One of the drinking fountains had lead levels 11 times higher than that.
During a news conference in the capital city Tuesday, several doctors and water quality experts discussed the hazards of lead in drinking water, especially to young children.
Lead exposure can cause low IQ, aggressive behavior, ADHD and stunted growth.
Doctor Ron Saff says the lead issue that exists in and around the capitol is almost certainly happening across the state.
“The plumbing throughout Florida is largely the same, and we know that the lead is coming from the plumbing parts," said Saff. "It’s not coming from the aquifer.”
According to the group, schools built before 1986 pose the highest risk for contamination, as pipes, brass fittings and the inner lining of galvanized pipes often include some lead.
It is estimated that it would cost about $24 million to filter all water taps in school cafeterias and replace old drinking fountains in all Florida elementary and middle schools.
