CHICAGO — The Far Northwest Side park found to have the highest concentration of lead in its water is Brooks Park, 7100 N. Harlem Ave., with one of its outdoor fountains recording lead levels at 145 parts per billion.
Earlier this month, Chicago Park District officials announced that water at 200 Chicago parks tested positive for "elevated" levels of lead.
Officials used the term "elevated" to describe any water whose lead exceeds 15 parts per billion, marked as the "action level" by the Environmental Protection Agency's 1991 Lead and Copper Rule.
Still, many researchers have called the 15 parts per billion threshold "totally arbitrary," noting that any amount of lead — no matter how small — can have harmful effects on children's development.
The agency conducted tests on 2,435 indoor and outdoor drinking water sources and found about 43 percent of Chicago's parks had "elevated" levels of lead in water from at least one sink or drinking fountain, according to the results.
Three percent of the district's indoor sinks and drinking water fountains tested positive for elevated levels, park district spokeswoman Jessica Maxey-Faulkner said.
About 24 percent of the district's outdoor drinking water fountains, along with 3 percent of the district's indoor sinks and drinking water fountains, tested positive for elevated levels of lead, Maxey-Faulkner said.
Chicago Public Schools has conducted its own lead tests at water fixtures during the past year, so far finding water exceeding the EPA action level at more than 100 schools. Plus, 17 Catholic elementary schools across the city exceeded the EPA's action level.
Park officials said all of the fixtures that tested positive for "elevated" levels of lead have been shut down.
Among the highest test results in the city were recorded at Avalon Park, 1215 E. 83rd St., where water with 1,800 parts per billion of lead was found in an outdoor drinking water fountain. Another fountain in the South Side park had 1,200 parts per billion, according to the test results.
The results of every lead test, at every water fixture in the park district, are listed on the district's website.
Portage Park
• Portage Park, 4100 N. Long Ave.: Of 23 total outdoor fountains, 11 were shut off after their water tested above the 15-parts-per-billion threshold. One fountain's water tested at 102 parts per billion, and another at 92.4 parts per billion.
• Chopin Park, 3420 N. Long Ave.: Of four outdoor fountains, one was found with high levels of lead, at 21.5 parts per billion. Its sole indoor fountain was kept active after testing at 1.37 parts per billion.
• Dunham Park, 4638 N. Melvina Ave.: Two of the park's five outdoor fountains were shut off after testing at 30.5 and 21.9 parts per billion, respectively. Indoors, the women's locker room fountain remains active with lead levels reading at 10 parts per billion.
• Frank J. Wilson Park, 4630 N. Milwaukee Ave.: All five of the park's outdoor fountains has been shut off, with the highest concentration of lead measured in one fountain at 51.2 parts per billion.
• Thuis Park, 4759 N. Lavergne Ave.: The park's only outdoor fountain was shut off after its lead level was measured at 125 parts per billion.
Jefferson Park
• Jefferson Memorial Park, 4822 N. Long Ave.: Of five outdoor fountains, three were shut off, with one faucet recording lead levels at 35.4 parts per billion. All four of the park's indoor fountains remain active after showing lead at less than 7 parts per billion.
• Austin-Foster Playlot Park, 6020 W. Foster Ave.: Both the park's outdoor fountains were shut off after testing positive for lead at 51 and 20.6 parts per billion.
• Gladstone Park, 5421 N. Menard Ave.: All three of the park's outdoor fountains were shut off, with the highest lead concentrations reading at 44.9 and 28.3 parts per billion.
Norwood Park
• Indian Road Park, 6010 W. Matson Ave.: Four of the park's six outdoor fountains were shut off after being found with high lead levels. The park's sole indoor fountain, in the park's preschool room, is still active after being found to have lead levels at 6.66 parts per billion.
• Norwood Park, 5801 N. Natoma Ave.: Of 11 total outdoor fountains, five were shut down, with the highest lead concentration found in one fountain with water testing at 39.2 parts per billion. Of the park's four indoor fountains, only the women's locker room fountain was shut off, after testing at 23.5 parts per billion.
• Oriole Park, 5430 N. Olcott Ave.: Of nine outdoor fountains, three were shot off, with the highest lead concentration found at one fountain testing at 36.5 parts per billion.
Edison Park
• Olympia Park, 6566 N. Avondale Ave.: Two of the park's three outdoor fountains were shut off after testing for water at 43.9 and 34.3 parts per billion. All four of the park's indoor fountains remain active, including the kitchen sink, which tested for lead levels at 11 parts per billion.
• Monument Park, 6679 N. Avondale Ave.: The park's sole outdoor fountain was shut off after being found with lead levels at 21.6 parts per billion.
• Brooks Park, 7100 N. Harlem Ave.: All three of the park's outdoor fountains were shut off, with one fountain recording lead levels at 145 parts per billion. Both indoor fountains were found to have lead levels reading at less than one part per billion.
Dunning
• Shabbona Park, 6935 W. Addison St.: Of nine outdoor fountains, two were shut off after being found with lead levels at 17 and 16.8 parts per billion. All four indoor fountains were found to have lead levels reading at less than one part per billion.
• Hiawatha Park, 8029 W. Forest Preserve Drive: One of the park's six outdoor fountains was shut off after being found with lead levels at 80.7 parts per billion.
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