Lead scare keeps water fountains off limits as Newark schools open
Schools have reopened in New Jersey's largest school district, but water fountains remain offline after last spring's lead scare. Officials say bottled water will be distributed for the next month
News 12 Staff
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Sep 6, 2016, 8:32 PM
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Updated 2,787 days ago
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Schools have reopened in New Jersey's largest school district, but water fountains remain offline after last spring's lead scare.
Officials say bottled water will be distributed for the next month at Newark's 30 schools. The district expects to reopen water fountains by October.
In March, Newark revealed that half its aging school buildings contained lead-tainted water.
Recent results from about 300 drinking water outlets throughout the district showed the water was safe in the majority of drinking water outlets.
The district says it wants to hold community meetings to explain the testing results before reopening the water fountains.
City officials have said that the levels were contained to school buildings, not from the city's water source. The lead is likely from pipes and other infrastructure in the aging school buildings.
