24 MSCS schools found to have lead traces in water as district battles aging infrastructure
Interim supt. says parents have no need to be alarmed
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Some drinking water sources are shut off at various campuses within Memphis-Shelby County Schools after routine testing found traces of lead at schools built more than 27 years ago.
Parents of students at each of these schools have been notified of the findings, as required by the state.
The interim superintendent of MSCS, Dr. Roderick Richmond, told Action News 5 on Monday—the first day of the new school year— that a “few” schools have confirmed traces of lead, though he was unable to list the number or names of those affected at the time.
A list provided by the district Wednesday names 24 schools in total where recent water testing showed lead amounts exceeding the standard threshold. At some of the listed campuses, only their sports stadiums tested positive.
| MSCS locations with more than 20ppb of lead | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bellevue Middle School | Geeter Middle School | Northwest Prep Academy at Macon | Sheffield Career and Technical Center |
| Bolton High Stadium | Georgian Hills Elementary | Oak Forest Elementary School | Sheffield Elementary School |
| Central High School | Germantown High Stadium | Peabody Elementary School | Southwest Career and Technical School |
| Cromwell Elementary School | Invictus Academy at Airways | Raleigh-Bartlett Meadows Elementary | Treadwell Middle School |
| Middle College | Jackson Elementary | Raleigh Egypt High School | White Station High School |
| Ford Road Elementary School | Kingsbury Middle School | Raleigh Egypt Middle School | Whitehaven Elementary STEM School |
Dr. Richmond told Action News 5 in an interview on the first day back to school that the district’s aging infrastructure is one of the many challenges he aims to tackle in the new school year.
“We have to let parents know if there are any traces, but we’ve cut off those water sources,” he said in that interview. “We also have bottled water and water filtration machines in all of our schools, so parents have no need to be alarmed. Again, it’s part of us having to report that information out.”
Per state law, MSCS is required to test for lead at all schools that were built before 1998 every two years.
The state follows the “Lead and Copper Rule,” which requires public water systems to take action and conduct more testing if lead amounts exceed 15 parts per billion (ppb).
The district received testing results last week that showed that two dozen schools tested positive for at least 20 ppb of lead.
In the disclosure letter to Bellevue Middle parents, the school district said immediate steps were taken to address the lead sources within 24 hours. MSCS also disclosed its action plan for reducing potential exposure:
The EPA and CDC both cite lead as harmful when consumed, especially for children.
No amount of lead in drinking water is considered safe. The EPA says even low levels of lead in the blood of children can result in:
- Behavior and learning problems
- Lower IQ and hyperactivity
- Slowed growth
- Hearing problems
- Anemia
MSCS says permanent measures to resolve these elevated lead levels are in the works. In the meantime, faculty and students have access to bottled water and water filtration machines for safe drinking.
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