Detroit public schools students drank from water coolers instead of fountains on the first day of school Tuesday after high lead levels were detected in fixtures at some schools, the Associated Press reports.
Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said last week that water fountains would be shut down across the entire district after new test results showed high levels of lead or copper in some fixtures at 16 schools. Water issues were previously detected in fixtures at 18 more schools.
On Tuesday, the district provided water coolers and bottled water for students.
Vitti told the Associated Press the cost of coolers and bottled water will be $200,000 over two months.
"We're still providing water that we believe is safer, and, ultimately, we actually believe students will drink more water than they did previously," Vitti told A.P. Tuesday at Gardner Elementary on Detroit's west side. "But this is about teaching and learning, not a conversation about water. It's an injustice that children and parents have to think about quality water, but we did the overall testing to be transparent and be proactive.
"I can sleep better at night and actually look in the mirror knowing that we did the right thing."
Administrators of the region's water systems issued a statement last week to make clear that the high lead levels detected at the schools were associated with school infrastructure, and not the source water system.
"Aging school infrastructure (plumbing) is the reason for the precautionary measure of providing bottled water," said the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) and the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) in a joint statement Wednesday, Aug. 29. "The treated drinking water provided by GLWA and distributed by DWSD not only meets, but surpasses all federal and state Safe Drinking Water Act regulations for quality and safety.
"The water at GLWA's treatment plants is tested hourly, and DWSD has no lead service lines connected to any DPSCD building. The drinking water is of unquestionable quality."
Elevations were detected at the following schools, according to DPSCD:
- Academy of the Americas Elementary-Middle School
- Adult Education- East
- Bates Academy
- Bennett Elementary-Middle School
- Cass Technical High School
- Roberto Clemente Elementary
- Clippert Elementary Middle School
- Coleman Young Elementary School
- Davis Aerospace @ Golightly
- Dixon Academy
- Foreign Language Immersion
- Hutchinson @ Howe
- Keidan
- Noble Elementary-Middle School
- Marcus Garvey
- Renaissance High School
No elevations were detected at the following schools:
- Academy of the Americas High School
- Adult Education- West
- Burns Elementary School
- Drew Transition Center
- Earhart Elementary-Middle School
- Harms Elementary School
- Neinas Elementary School
- Maybury Elementary School