Drinking water in Flint schools to be tested for lead

FLINT, Mich. – Michigan officials are preparing to test water in Flint School District buildings for lead.

The Department of Environmental Quality says it will begin testing and flushing lines this weekend.

Department officials previously said the district wasn’t allowing the tests. School officials said they first wanted a long-term plan that included multiple rounds of testing.

Superintendent Bilal Tawwab said Friday he’s ready to move forward.

The Flint Journal reports district students are still drinking bottled water despite test results indicating that water in other schools, day care and elder care facilities in the city are well below the federal threshold for lead.

Flint’s water was contaminated with lead in 2014 and 2015, when officials used river water that wasn’t properly treated. Some children were found to have elevated lead levels in their blood.