JEFFERSON PARK — Water from a first-floor sink at Beaubien Elementary School has tested positive for elevated levels of lead, Chicago Public Schools officials said late Friday.
In a letter to parents of students at the elementary school in Jefferson Park, Chicago Public Schools officials said tests conducted June 11 found 43 parts per billion, 21.9 parts per billion, 19.4 parts per billion and 15.6 parts per billion in water from one sink on the first-floor.
The sink that tested positive for elevated levels of lead was in the kitchen of the school at 5025 N. Laramie Ave., Principal Michelle Ludford said in a letter to parents.
Students did not have access to that sink, Ludford said.
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.
Elevated levels of lead have also been found at Stock School in Edison Park; Portage Park Elementary School and Smyser Elementary School in Portage Park; Norwood Park Elementary School and Onahan Elementary in Norwood Park and Prussing Elementary School in Jefferson 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 EPA.
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 as part of a pilot program at 324 schools built before 1986 with pre-kindergarten programs.
Water at 113 schools throughout the city has tested positive for lead, officials said.
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