Tests: Lead levels improve at two Polk Co. schools

BARTOW (FOX 13) - The Polk County School District says two of the four schools found to have lead in the drinking water are off the so-called hot list.

In high enough concentrations, lead can cause brain damage.

On Thursday, Rory Luce, an administrator with the schools' maintenance department said new test results show the water at Inwood Elementary and Cleveland Court Elementary is safe to drink again.

It is not at Winston Academy of Engineering and Union Academy.

Luce said the district made minor repairs and adjustments at Inwood and Cleveland Court, like cleaning filters and flushing lines and apparently, it worked.

After test results indicated that Union and Winston Academy still had unacceptable levels of lead by EPA standards, crews replaced fountains and pipes that ran from the fixtures to the walls.

Officials have now begun taking another round of samples.

“We’re confident that when we conduct tests on these remaining samples, that they will come back cleared,” said Luce.

The results are expected by early next week.

When the problems are straightened out at Union and Winston, the district plans to test the rest of the schools in Polk County.