Monroe Public Schools has decided to conduct a precautionary testing of the drinking water at its schools from now through September of next school year.

This testing will not have any effects on the day-to-day school activities of students and is only being held as a precautionary measure, but could prevent numerous health issues should there be any issues found with the water. The water will be tested to see if it contains things like copper or lead.

Lead and copper are both dangerous substances to have in drinking water, as too much of either is likely to cause health issues. While there is no immediate concern over the quality of the water, the recent rise of public interest in drinking water quality was enough for the decision to be made, according to MHS superintendent Julie Everly.

“In Monroe Public Schools, we uphold student and staff safety as our top priority,” said Everly.

Copper, though less dangerous than lead, can still cause health issues when consumed in excess. A few of these are: fatigue, headaches, arthritis, and changes in mood (nutritionalbalance.org).

On the other hand, lead, a toxic metal, generally holds a zero tolerance policy for being in drinking water. As defined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the maximum acceptable containment level of lead in drinking water is zero.

Lead is harmful to humans at even the lowest levels, which is why lead poisoning should be taken seriously and drinking water should be tested regularly. In children and young adults, some side effects of consuming lead are: behavior and learning problems, slowed growth, anemia, and even seizures (epa.org).

These serious side effects are why the testing of drinking water, though not mandatory, is an important action in public schools.

“We will remain steadfast in this commitment,” said Everly.