Lead Levels in California Schools

There is no safe level of lead, especially for children. Even small amounts can lower IQ. Damage from lead exposure is irreversible.

California community water systems were required by the state to test drinking water for lead at the schools they serve before Summer 2019. The results are now mostly in.

This map shows the highest lead levels detected at each school according to the latest publicly available data. The data was last updated on 3/3/2020 and includes all results reported through 1/3/2020. Many schools have taken action when they found lead. Find out the latest status at the State Water Board website, or by contacting your school administrator.

Although there is no safe level of lead, the state is only required to share results when lead levels are above 5 PPB. Some schools did their own testing and have publicly shared results down to 1PPB on their own sites.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than 1 PPB in drinking water for children and so CALPIRG urges schools to test down to 1 PPB and to get the lead out wherever it is found.

Take action with CALPIRG's "Get The Lead Out:Back to School Toolkit."