Some University Place district schools showing high levels of lead in water



UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. – More Pierce County schools recently tested positive for high levels of lead.

Fountains and fixtures at half a dozen schools in the University Place School District are now closed awaiting new test results.

The district said they began water quality testing after the recent scare in Tacoma schools.

More than 200 samples were taken from UPSD facilities and the results came back on Monday, showing more than a dozen fixtures with higher levels of lead.

The results revealed 90% of the 225 samples taken were either completely free of lead or had levels below federal standard of 15 parts-per-billion.

But half a dozen schools showed some fixtures with levels exceeding the federal threshold – including a sink at Chambers Primary showing 15 times the action level.

It’s the same campus where the Christina Downie's preschooler has been going for months.

“My son’s health is in danger if you do take too much lead in,” said Downie. “We’ve heard about the Flint (Michigan) stuff and that’s scary by itself.”

Four fixtures at Chambers Primary and three more at Sunset Primary showed elevated levels of lead.

More fixtures tested with high lead levels were also found at University Place Primary, Narrows View Intermediate, and at both Curtis Junior and Senior High schools.

District officials said each problem faucet has been shut off after receiving the first round of water quality test results.

You can read the UPSD's most recent test results here.

Tacoma Public Schools said it has already tested more than 5,000 fixtures and replaced more than 300 in its buildings that showed elevated levels of lead.

UPSD said it tests are being done after the spiked lead levels were discovered in nearby Tacoma.

“We want to ensure that all of our kids are safe in our schools,” said Susie Whitlock with UPSD.

UPSD said it is planning another round of water quality tests and vowing to replace any problem fixtures as needed.