I loved playing at Greenberg School in Northeast Philadelphia as a kid: scooter hockey and rope climbing during gym, wall ball during recess, and stickball every chance I got.

These games usually ended with me running through the heavy iron doors, up the metal ramp, and burying my head into one of the first-floor water fountains. 

I slurped up the refreshing water like a Shop-Vac. 

Some days, I remember drinking so much water that the fountain motor began to whirr mid-drink to cool more water.

But a recent report by PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center taints the memory of these carefree moments. Their study reveals that 91% of Pennsylvania school districts tested positive for lead. Our commonwealth also receives a failing grade for its policies to remedy the problem.  

How serious a problem is lead in school drinking water? 

Studies tell us no level of lead ingestion is safe for children.

As a nurse practitioner, I know the terror of getting back a child’s lab reports with elevated lead results. 

Lead exposure in children can lead to temporary side effects, like speech and hearing issues, delayed puberty, and behavioral issues. Permanent side effects include memory and IQ loss, ADHD, and a higher likelihood of committing a crime. 

And recently, some of the schools in our state tested positive for ridiculously high lead levels in their drinking water.

The good news is that Philadelphia has recently been a leader in tackling this threat. After a jarring February 2022 report showed that 98% of the Philadelphia schools studied had lead in their drinking water, the Philadelphia City Council and the School District of Philadelphia worked to pass a city-wide law requiring the replacement of all old drinking fountains that pose a risk for lead contamination. Philadelphia City Council also allocated the funding needed to pay for that work. 

Currently, the School District of Philadelphia reports that each of its schools, like our own John Story Jenks School in Chestnut Hill, has at least three lead-filtering hydration stations– with more in the works

Now it’s time to ensure that kids in Pennsylvania's 499 other school districts are protected. 

That’s why on Tuesday, I’m teaming up in my role as a state representative with a bipartisan group of lawmakers. Led by State Representative Roni Green in the House and our Senator Art Haywood in the Senate, we will co-introduce the “Safe Drinking Water in Schools Act” in Harrisburg.

Our novel legislation requires that all Pennsylvania schools replace drinking fountains that pose a risk of lead contamination with lead-filtering drinking fountains or bottled water filling stations over the next two years.

Second, and equally important, our companion bill to Senate Bill 986 launches a $30 million funding stream to finance this remediation.

This legislation aligns with long-term plans by the Biden Administration to remove lead from our community as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prepares to replace 700,000 lead pipes in Pennsylvania over the next decade. And our bill fills in the gaps of the EPA’s ten-year program by fully and directly addressing the threats to our school's drinking water. 

No child should be at risk for serious health risks just for going to school.

Pennsylvania should follow our city’s lead on policies protecting school children from toxic lead exposure. 

Together, we can ensure that kids' experiences in school are safe and their memories remain untarnished.

Contact your state representative and state senator and urge them to pass the “Safe Drinking Water in Schools” Act.

State Representative Tarik Khan, PhD, CRNP