Lead detected in dozens of Bergen County schools: Report

NEW JERSEY (FOX 5 NY) - A report by the advocacy group Environment New Jersey found that 55 percent of fountains and sinks in 47 Bergen County school districts had excessive lead levels.

According to the report, at least one sink or fountain had lead readings that exceeded 15 parts per billion, which is the level set by EPA that requires districts to take action.

Other NJ districts have had elevated lead levels reported in recent years including Newark.

"The results from Bergen County, a microcosm of New Jersey, are a reflection of a larger issue of lead contamination in school drinking water in the state and country," according to the report.

Bergen is the state's most populous county and includes more than 70 school districts.

The Environmental Protection Agency says high levels of lead can cause health problems, including brain and kidney damage. Pregnant women, infants and children under six-years-old are most at risk.

Sen. Cory Booker has introduced a that bill that would create a grant program to help schools improve infrastructure and require them to be more consistently tested for lead.