Health Concerns of California School Fountains

Tiffany Sun

March 14, 2025

Walking through a California public high school, neglected water fountains are clogged with leaves, flooded with rain water, coated in cobwebs, or invaded by the occasional ant infestation. Students maintain a wide berth from the drinking fountains, opting for the filtered hydration stations if at all.

Sarcastic speculations float through hallways, with students warning their friends that “if I don’t come to school tomorrow, it’s the water quality of the fountain that got to me” after drinking from the suspiciously metallic-tasting water. But oftentimes no significant harm is done.

Nevertheless, in light of recent studies in the previous years, there has been a concerning amount of lead in school fountains. In the Oakland Unified School District, around 17% of the fountains tested were above the state limit of 5 parts per billion (ppb) of lead—which is a much stricter regulation than the federal guideline of less than 15 ppb. These findings incited much discontent amongst parents worried for their children.

Why is lead harmful? According to the CDC (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), high levels of lead in one’s system can damage the brain & nervous system, slow growth and development, cause behavioral issues, as well as impair learning, hearing, and speaking abilities. These effects can lead to high blood pressure, attention deficiency, and poor performance in school. The damage lead poisoning causes is irreversible, and unfortunately, children are 4-5 times more vulnerable to lead poisoning because their bodies absorb greater quantities of lead. Moreover, the CDC has asserted that no level of lead can be considered “safe” for children.

In light of lead poisoning concerns, since the 1970s, California has implemented laws that limit lead exposure from products like paint and pipes, while a 2017 law required all schools established before 2010 to check their water source lead levels. The results of the 2017 law revealed that 1 in every 5 of the schools tested had lead levels above 5ppb.

The most recent legislation regarding lead levels in schools is Assembly Bill 249, introduced by Holden. This bill requires the state to provide grants to public schools (preschool and K-12) for lead level testing. If results are found to exceed the state limitations, schools must immediately shut down all the fountains till a lead-free water source is available, and notify all parents and guardians. Additionally, all testing results must be released publicly.

Thankfully, through avid environmental activists and recent studies, California is slowly but surely progressing towards a zero-lead environment for all children. Although many older schools or schools in regions of lower income sport a higher likelihood of exposure to lead, new bills have aimed to curb lead levels statewide, specifically targeting these higher likelihood regions. Ultimately, despite the suspicious appearances of high school water fountains—as they are exposed to rain, sun, and all the elements—most should be safe to drink from. If you still harbor doubts, search up your school’s lead levels just to make sure!