Less than 1 in 4 schools in Georgia have taken advantage of the free EPA testing of lead in public school drinking water.
The President of the Georgia Federation of Teachers, Verdaillia Turner, has written to the state’s General Assembly about lead in the drinking water of Georgia’s schools.
Turner has asked that it be made a requirement to test for lead in the pipes of the state’s schools. According to the Center for Disease Control, children who are exposed to lead can struggle to pay attention in class and may experience developmental delays.
In her letter, Turner noted the Environmental Protection Agency has hundreds of millions of dollars set aside specifically for testing schools' water for lead. Turner has asked that the state use these EPA funds for testing and potential refurbishment.
