Flint water crisis prompts schools nationwide to test water for lead

EPA data shows 278 schools and daycare centers across the country violated federal lead level requirements within past three years

• Anger and skepticism in Philadelphia over water testing
• Water operators use tests to downplay contamination

Responding to the crisis in Flint, Michigan, school officials across the country are testing classroom sinks and cafeteria faucets for lead, trying to uncover any concealed problems and reassure anxious parents.

Just a fraction of schools and daycare centers nationwide are required to check for lead because most receive their water from municipal systems that test at other locations. State and federal lawmakers have called for wider testing.