Importance of Having Clean Water
The last thing that people, especially children, should be drinking is lead water. Drinking lead-contaminated water can lead to massive issues in the future, even though some may not believe that this is true. Furthermore, parents of children should be able to live without the fear of their children drinking lead water.
This is one primary reason why water tests are required by places such as schools and workplaces. If people did not complete these mandatory tests, it is certain to say that nearly all water would be contaminated. In 2017, an Illinois law was passed that requires school districts to test for lead in their water supply. The results of those tests might not make parents happy. Therefore, as this law can certainly benefit many people in Illinois, there is still water being contaminated.
It is without a doubt that parents should not have to worry about their children drinking lead water. Unfortunately, in Illinois, parents have to worry about this issue.
“This is unacceptable. Our students deserve clean and safe drinking water at school. This year, I led a letter requesting the funding and resources that schools need to test and mitigate lead in their drinking water,” Representative Sean Casten said in a tweet.
Lead Water Found in Illinois Schools
For those living in Illinois, the last thing that parents want to hear is that the schools their children attend have lead in their water. This can be incredibly damaging for children in the later stages of their life, as lead water can heavily affect the way the brain works.
According to a Chicago Tribune analysis of state data, over 1800 of the roughly 2100 public schools that submitted test results identified some amount of lead in their drinking water. This is abominable, as there are thousands of Illinois parents that have to worry about schools not having clean water. Therefore, children are not receiving the water that they need, and that their bodies need.
Construction Being Part of the Problem
How buildings were built in the past may have to do with this problem. Most of the state’s public schools were built before 1986, when lead pipes were frequently used in indoor plumbing. This era of construction has undoubtedly contributed to the widespread problem of lead in school water supplies.
Clearly, something needs to be done about these pipes that produce the lead that enters the water stream. If nothing is done about this issue, lead water will continue to be a major issue in Illinois schools. Unsurprisingly, this has caused major outrage across the state of Illinois, as parents expect that their children are drinking clean water when at school. Clearly, that has not been the case.
Parents and the Community are Outraged
It is very hard for many parents and even the community to believe that there is still nothing really being done about the water issue at these schools. Many educators have to deal with furious parents, which the parents have a total right to be. Educators come to teach, and the facility is the last of their worries.
“We’re focused on education; we’re not necessarily focused on the facilities as much as we should,” stated one teacher to the Chicago Tribune.
However, now that the truth is out about the water at schools, there should certainly be change done to fix the water systems. Not only does the water system need work, but the construction of these buildings needs some updating.
Therefore, clean water will probably be provided soon, even though this is one thing that should be provided from the get-go. It is incredibly unfortunate that children have to be drinking this water, but since word is circling around about the lead pipes in Chicago, change will hopefully come soon.
Written by David Loran Jr
Sources:
Chicago Tribune: An Illinois law required schools to test water for lead. They found it all over the state
MyStateline.Com: Illinois schools across the state have lead in water supply
NewsBreak: Shocking Lead Test Results in Illinois Schools
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Photos By Clark’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Gary Todd’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
