Lead in drinking water at MN schools, child care centers: Interactive map
Interactive map shows lead amount in MN water
A new map released by the Minnesota Department of Health shows the amount of lead detected in Minnesota drinking water supplies.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Department of Health has released an interactive map that will show people how much lead has been detected in the drinking water at all public and charter schools and licensed child care centers in the state.
Lead in drinking water map
Local perspective:
The map of lead drinking water test results for schools and child care centers is available here.
The map allows users to search by facility name and view results of how much lead was found, if any, in the drinking water.
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"Information from testing can help facilities determine best practices to manage water usage within buildings to reduce lead exposure," said Anna Schliep, MDH’s Lead in Drinking Water coordinator.
The map is not yet fully populated because schools and child care centers are at different points in their testing cycles, MDH says.
By the numbers:
There are 190 schools and child care centers that have reported results to MDH. Of those, no lead was detected in 76% of the drinking water fixtures, which includes sinks and fountains.
Meanwhile, less than 5% of fixtures had a lead level of 5 parts per billion (ppb) or more, which is the level where the fixture must be shut off until action is taken to correct the lead and follow-up tests ensure the water is safe for people to drink.
Dig deeper:
MDH says it's important to test the drinking water at schools and child care centers because when water isn't used and remains in pipes during long school breaks or closures, it can increase the lead levels in the water.
Minnesota law has required public and charter schools to test for lead in drinking water every five years and make the results available to the public since 2017. But a law that went into effect in 2024 now requires licensed child care centers to test drinking water for lead and report results to MDH.
Elevated blood lead levels in children can be linked to learning and behavior problems, however MDH says elevated lead blood levels are rarely caused by lead in drinking water alone. In Minnesota, it's most often caused by exposure to lead paint and dust.
To read more from MDH about lead, click here.