Students and teachers have been drinking bottled water since 2015 when tests showed elevated lead levels. Today, the water is scheduled to be turned back on in some elementary schools.
It’s been over three years since water fountains in some Ithaca area schools could offer students a drink. In 2015, water systems in all 12 Ithaca City Schools were shut off after tests showed elevated lead levels. However, within two weeks, the water will be turned on again at some elementary schools.
"There’s been a long time passing without much information about what the remediation was," said Alan Karasin, treasurer of the PTA. "We would get periodic reports that things were being replaced but we didn’t exactly know what or when."