Portland is the latest Oregon school district to find lead in its drinking fountains. Officials found lead at Creston K-8 in Southeast and Rose City Park in Northeast.
The district tested 56 fixtures at Creston and found elevated lead levels in six.
"The fixtures (not all drinking fountains, some were classroom sinks and faucets) were immediately replaced," said PPS spokesperson Christine Miles in an email to OPB.
At Rose City Park, tests found lead levels above EPA benchmarks at eight of 36 fountains or sinks that were tested.
In a message provided to parents, district officials said two drinking fountains and two sink fixtures were replaced. Sinks in science rooms were not replaced. Instead, officials posted signs telling students and staff to use the sinks only for washing and not for drinking. Further testing of the water in those rooms "suggests that the source of the lead is in the piping that supplies those sinks" and that replacing that piping is "cost prohibitive."
Miles said Portland Public Schools has budgeted to test sinks and water fountains across all 78 school buildings this summer.
The revelations in Portland follow discovery of lead in Beaverton, at Highland Park Middle School.
Beaverton officials also say they will test all 52 of their schools. While Beaverton hasn't announced a timeline, officials said the plan to test for lead in all of its schools preceded the appearance of lead in two drinking fountains at Highland Park.
Lead in the water in schools tends to come from the piping system rather than from the water source entering the school.