MORE LEAD FOUND IN DRINKING WATER

Well I guess it should have been obvious. If old plumbing pipes in residential homes are made of lead then why not in old buildings such as schools etc.? Today's K-W Record has the following story "Fountains off limits after high lead levels found at two schools". My understanding is that lead pipes leaching lead into the drinking water has only been recognized as a serious health issue for the past thirty or fourty years. We all know about lead paint and how ingestion of it by toddlers can be serious. Similarily small toys made from lead have been banned for decades. It does lead one to question why the highly paid big shots at the local School Boards are just figuring out now that there could be issues in their older schools.

The other issue for me is this. How many other either natural (lead, asbestos etc.) or totally manmade building materials are out there that are health hazards that we haven't recognized yet? We do of course know what happens when PVC's in buildings burn namely emissions of toxic fumes. Manmade materials in furniture , rugs and draperies can emit fumes. I often suspect that our reliance on chemistry and new products may eventually be the end of mankind. Did I mention BEHP and pthalates in plastic bottles and on and on. Getting back to schools, especially for the younger students, wouldn't it be a good idea to proactively remove these lead pipes rather than just testing the drinking water and shutting fountains temporarily?