City school water fails toxin test

Elevated lead levels persist in 730 public school water fixtures, city Education Department officials said Tuesday.

The impacted schools are not identified, but the department said the fixtures – which might be used for cleaning or other purposes, but not preparing food or drinking — are labeled with warning signs.

The data was revealed in an update of a lead remediation program for city schools begun in 2016.

At the start of the academic year last Wednesday, school officials said 141,246 of 142,411 — or 99% — of all potential drinking water fixtures tested within the state standard.

The remaining fixtures are not being used while they’re addressed, school officials said.

Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza said water samples from all 47,579 water taps used for drinking and cooking in the public schools pass state standards for lead contamination.

“Water in New York City schools is safe for students and staff to drink, and all fixtures in DOE schools currently in use for cooking or drinking tested within the state’s standard,” Carranza said. “We remain vigilant and will begin retesting fixtures in schools this year as part of our continued focus on water safety.”

Families who want to learn more about lead in city schools’ water can visit the city Education Department website and letters are sent home to the families of students with information about their schools.

City Health Department officials said no one has ever gotten lead poisoning from water at a city school.

But the city’s handling of lead testing in the public schools has been criticized in the past.

Testing conducted in 2016 and previous years employed a controversial tactic called prestagnation flushing, where city officials ran water outlets the night before testing to clear them of sediment.

The practice was developed in a partnership with the federal Environmental Protection Agency but drew fire from some experts.