JEFFERSON PARK — Water from a kitchen sink at Prussing Elementary School has tested positive for elevated levels of lead, Chicago Public Schools officials said.
In a letter to parents of students at the elementary school in Jefferson Park, Chicago Public Schools officials said tests conducted June 11 found 16.7 parts per billion of lead in water from one sink in the school's first-floor kitchen.
The Environmental Protection Agency considers water with less than 15 parts per billion of lead to be safe.
The sink has been shut down, and a plan to remove the lead is being developed, officials said.
No other fixture at Prussing Elementary, 4650 N. Menard Ave., tested positive for even a trace of lead, CPS officials said.
Elevated levels of lead have also been found at Stock School in Edison Park and Portage Park Elementary School and Smyser Elementary School in Portage Park on the Far Northwest Side.
The government is especially concerned with children drinking lead-tainted water, as they're more susceptible to its effects. Amounts of lead that won't hurt adults can hinder mental and physical development in children, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The results come as CPS "is taking proactive steps to ensure that our children's drinking water is safe across all schools," spokesman Michael Passman said.
CPS Chief Executive Officer Forrest Claypool called for citywide testing in late May after Tanner Elementary tested positive last month as part of a pilot program at 324 schools built before 1986 with pre-kindergarten programs.
Water at 75 schools throughout the city has tested positive for lead, officials said.
Six other Far Northwest Side schools have had their water tested, but the results were not available as of Monday morning. Those schools are:
• Beaubien Elementary School in Jefferson Park
• Edison Park Elementary School
• Dever Elementary School in Dunning
• Hitch Elementary School in Gladstone Park
• Norwood Park Elementary School
• Onahan Elementary School in Norwood Park
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