Widespread testing for lead in the water at Kingston’s schools has revealed unsafe levels of the toxin in dozens of locations across the district, spread out across each school.
Water fountains and water bottle filling stations were not among the contaminated outlets, but many sinks, including kitchen sinks at Myer, Meagher, Miller, JFK, Graves and Crosby schools, showed potentially dangerous levels of lead.
For example, water from a sink at J. Watson Bailey middle school was shown to contain 145 times the 5 parts per billion (ppb) limit of lead in the water as set by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) in 2022, when it was lowered from the previous limit of 15 ppb. Many of the contaminated outlets in Kingston’s schools would have tested safe under the old 15 ppb limit.
Every Kingston school had at least one contaminated outlet, and some had a considerable amount of outlets contaminated with unsafe levels of lead, such as Bailey with 20, and Miller with 21.
According to the NYSDOH, water outlets with lead levels above 5 ppb must be taken out of service for drinking or cooking purposes. As required by law, signs have been posted anywhere lead contamination was found where faucets are still in use for cleaning and handwashing.
Lead exposure poses serious health risks, particularly for children under six, as it can impair brain development and behavior. Officials explained that lead levels in water can fluctuate, often increasing when water sits idle in plumbing for extended periods, such as overnight or during vacations.
School officials had not yet released a statement on the testing. They were required by law to make testing results public in a timely manner.
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