An oversight in communication has come to light regarding lead testing in water fountains within Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS).
Contrary to previous assumptions, the Milwaukee Health Department acknowledges that it had misconstrued MPS’s water testing efforts.
In response, the city’s health department is now urging the school district to reinstate water tests, despite the presence of new water fountains equipped with lead-filtering mechanisms.
In 2019, MPS underwent an important upgrade by installing new water fountains with built-in filters designed to mitigate lead contamination.
However, a recent revelation points to the fact that no subsequent water testing had been conducted since the installation.
Recognizing the significance of consistent water testing, the health department is actively encouraging MPS to resume testing procedures.
The health department’s call for renewed testing stems from a misunderstanding. Managers within the department admitted that they had mistakenly believed MPS was still conducting regular lead testing.
This belief was supported by an email exchange from last year, in which MPS officials referred to an ‘active’ testing program.
This instance of miscommunication has brought about the realization that the assumption was indeed incorrect.
In defense of the lack of recent testing, school leaders emphasize that there are no lead pipes transporting water into any of Milwaukee’s schools.
They assert that the absence of such pipes eliminates the risk of lead contamination at the source.
Despite this assertion, the health department underscores the importance of ongoing monitoring, given the potential vulnerabilities that can arise over time.
