DALLAS (AP) – A letter from Texas officials to families of residents at three state-funded homes for the disabled where high levels of lead were found in drinking water seems to play down the issue’s severity.
The Dallas Morning News reports the letter from a State Supported Living Centers official came as new analyses showed even higher levels than initial checks.
The highest sample in initial testing contained 266 parts per billion of lead. Expanded testing revealed more than 940 ppb at facilities in Brenham, San Angelo and El Paso. The highest reading was 6,260, which is classified as hazardous waste by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The EPA says no amount of lead is safe to drink.
The facilities’ residents have been drinking and using bottled water since the lead was discovered.
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