Elected officials and DOE clash over lead in water in Brooklyn public schools
Concerns continue to rise regarding elevated lead levels in water in public schools in Brooklyn and the other four boroughs.
On Thursday, March 2, the city’s five borough presidents, including Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, spoke out about the issue in a joint letter to Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña, imploring the New York City Department of Education (DOE) to take action to ensure the safety of students given the number of schools where water sampling has revealed unacceptably high lead levels.
“The health and safety of our children come first, plain and simple,” said Adams. “We must ensure the highest standards are implemented and sustained when it comes to the drinking water in our public schools. Reports of elevated lead levels at some buildings need to be taken seriously, and that starts with ensuring every affected school has access to safe water and free lead exposure testing.”