The Leon County School Board is planning a special meeting to discuss lead levels in the district’s drinking water.
Earlier this summer, the Leon County School Board participated in a voluntary study that revealed trace levels of lead in water from drinking fountains at sixteen local schools. The board immediately began taking steps to cut lead levels, like flushing contaminated water and replacing pipes. School Board Chair Dee Dee Rasmussen says the levels are alarming, but within the federal recommendations.
“At least based on the info that I’ve been provided, we are well within the EPA guidelines. I know the Pediatric Society has a much higher standard of only one part per billion. But most homes, as I understand it, have that much. So the question then is, what are the affordable options for us?” she said.
Now the board is calling a special meeting to hear from experts and parents.
“The quest for the experts is going to be what are the preventative measures we can take, and what are the ongoing best practices that we might be able to get to eventually…And again this is why this was a research project. This was a research study, as I understand, a grant-funded study that we proactively and willingly volunteered to participate in,” said Rasmussen.
The meeting is set for Thursday November 3rd at 6 pm.
