A North Carolina nonprofit is taking applications from up to 800 Georgia schools to test lead levels in their water.
According to The Current, RTI International, the nonprofit funding the Georgia school project aims to prevent health problems in children due to lead poisoning.
Savannah-Chatham County Public School System will not apply for the funding, however, despite the county leading the state in childhood lead poisoning, reported The Current.
According to Sheila Blanco, public information manager at Savannah-Chatham schools, the school system is conducting its own research with the city of Savannah on the school system’s oldest buildings. The results thus far indicate that the water in schools is safe.
“They have already begun doing plumbing profiles of each of our school buildings – starting with Charles Ellis and Savannah Arts Academy (our two oldest buildings and therefore those most likely to have any identified issues if there were some to be found),” said Blanco, reported The Current.
According to Laura Walker, environmental manager at the city of Savannah, lead piping is a concern in older buildings with aging infrastructure.
“There are three sources of lead in Savannah and all communities,” Walker said, reported The Current. “Paint is a big one because we have such an old housing stock, the soil, and then potentially water.”
The EPA issued funding to Georgia through the WIIN Grant. Georgia schools interested in applying can enroll in a pre-registration webinar to receive an enrollment PIN and detailed instructions through February 2022, reported The Current.
More funding is expected this fall, which means more schools will likely be able to apply, and access will be expanded to include child care centers.
RTI has also provided resources beyond the grant here.
