Drinking fountains in two buildings on Wayne State University's campus have tested positive for lead, according to university officials. In a letter to the campus community, the university said it had tested water in 11 campus buildings, and found lead above the EPA action levels in two buildings – the College of Education Building and the Meyer L. Prentis Cancer Center Building.
The water inlets to the buildings were free of lead. The affected fountains have been shut off, and the University says it will test all other drinking water sources on campus as soon as possible.
The university conducted the tests in response to requests from the campus community, possibly spurred by the Flint water crisis. Wayne State Chief of Staff Michael Wright says the university is responding to the situation with a sense of urgency.
"We have a couple of buildings that we tested very recently that showed high lead levels. As soon as we found that out we covered those sites and now we're working to the remediation, but we also want to test all the buildings on campus," says Wright.
Wayne State is offering free blood tests to occupants of the buildings who are concerned about exposure to lead through the Campus Health Center.
