BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Health officials found no significant lead levels in the drinking water of a dozen of Louisiana's older public schools.
The Advocate reports some of the tests found some lead, but the results were below the 15 parts per billion that would've initiated action by state authorities.
Louisiana's health officer, Dr. Jimmy Guidry, cautioned that a dozen test results aren't enough to make sweeping statements. Guidry says school systems should test their own water.
The Louisiana Department of Health's Office of Public Health was charged by the Legislature to conduct tests at public schools as part of a pilot program to inform lawmakers of a growing situation in which aging infrastructure is fast endangering the drinking water in some municipalities and parishes. A final report will be delivered to the Legislature.