The second and final phase of a study testing drinking water for lead throughout Hawaii’s public schools will take place this month.
The study is a continuation of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act, started in 2021, involving the state departments of Health, Education and Human Services.
Of the 72 schools participating in the second phase, five are in Hawaii County: DeSilva Elementary, Konawaena Elementary, Waikoloa Elementary, Kea‘au Elementary and Keonepoko Elementary.
Of the 106 schools tested in Phase One between May 2021 and December 2021, 89 reported high levels of lead in drinking water, listed as above 15 parts per billion. An additional 117 child care facilities were tested, with four reporting high levels of lead contamination.
“There were more findings of lead in the drinking water than we had anticipated,” said DOH Toxicologist Diana Felton. “When you have an environmental health problem, particularly one that affects children, it’s scary and alarming. Sometimes that causes people to not be as forthcoming, but I feel like we’ve been able to get the information and results out to the school and community and public really quickly and transparently.”
During Phase One of the testing, 13 public schools on the Big Island were noted to have elevated levels of lead in their tap water, with Kalanianaole Elementary recording the highest at 398 ppb. Statewide, 4.9% of tested water sources reported high levels of lead.
If any remaining elementary schools show the presence of lead at above 15 ppb, impacted taps and water fountains will be shut off within 24 hours, or by the next school day, and will no longer be available for use.
Funding to replace contaminated fixtures and infrastructure could come from two potential sources.
Senate Bill 3098, passed by both the state House and Senate, could provide $1.85 million in funding to the DOE for lead abatement measures and further testing, if signed by the governor.
The DOH also applied for a federal grant from the Environmental Protection Agency for $1.5 million, which would provide funding for new fixtures and testing as well.
“We could really use it all, but either coming through would be a really big success in being able to remediate a fair bit of the problems,” Felton said.
Prolonged lead exposure can have adverse effects on developing brains, like long-term cognitive issues affecting behavior, attention and learning, according to Felton, noting exposure through drinking water is far more harmful than washing hands with the water.
“It’s really the ingestion of lead that we worry about,” said Felton. “With a heavy metal like lead, you don’t absorb much through your skin. You really have to get it inside your body.”
For taps with lead levels above 5 ppb, the DOE and DOH will conduct follow-up tests to address the cause of contamination and ensure the problem is fixed. Causes can range from old fixtures to a compromised plumbing system. The results of Phase One indicated a majority of the contaminated water resulted from fixtures.
Tips to reduce lead exposure from taps include using cold water, cleaning faucet screens and aerators regularly, and flushing the water from the tap for two minutes every morning.
Although tests above 15 ppb were noted, the ultimate goal is to drop them to zero.
“The desired level is zero,” said Felton. “We don’t want any exposure to lead occurring anywhere, especially not in schools.”
At the completion of the project, all public elementary schools in Hawaii will have been tested for lead-heavy water, except Ni‘ihau due to access issues.
Results and lead levels from all schools and facilities throughout the state can be viewed here: https://tinyurl.com/2p9fyk3r.
In addition to schools, “a lot of lead exposure occurs in the home, particularly with deteriorated lead-based paint or lead dust or contaminated soil around the home,” Felton said. “We want to keep awareness up that this is only one aspect of where a child might be exposed to lead.”
Additional information on minimizing the risks of lead poisoning for children can be found at: https://lead.hawaii.gov.
Email Grant Phillips at gphillips@hawaiitribune-herald.com