Public schools across Newark, New Jersey, were forced to shut off water fountains on Wednesday after annual testing results revealed high levels of lead in the water supply Officials say they do not know how long students at nearly half of the schools in Newark had been drinking the water, but added that they did not believe the contamination was likely to pose any serious health risks. Common Dreams reports: The water supply at a total of 30 Newark schools tested higher for lead than the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s “action level,” 15 parts per billion, at which point the agency requires “additional testing, monitoring, and remediation,” according to ABC. But despite the EPA’s designation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tells parents that “no safe blood lead level in children has been identified.” “Even low levels of lead in blood have been shown to affect IQ, ability to pay attention, and academic achievement,” the CDC continues in its online fact sheet, “And effects of lead exposure cannot be corrected.” NJ.com reported that the district-wide testing commenced after staff noticed discolored drinking water in one elementary school on March 3, and officials had received the concerning results on [...]