City Council to Vote on Lead in School Drinking Water

On May 19th, the Philadelphia City Council Committee on Inspections and Licenses will vote on Bill 220221 which would require schools in Philadelphia to have lead filtering hydration stations in place of the old water fountains. This is an important step forward in a city-wide campaign to protect kids from lead, a neurotoxin that can cause serious learning disabilities and lifelong health problems. 

The School District of Philadelphia administration presented the 2022-2023 budget to City Council earlier this month, which includes $6.2 million for 800 new hydration stations across 269 schools. The legislation, sponsored by CM Helen Gym, would codify this plan and hold the district to a deadline of 2025 to complete the project. 

If you would like to testify in support of the legislation at the remote hearing at 1pm tomorrow, please email [email protected] or call 215-686-3458 today. You can also submit written testimony ahead of the hearing by emailing [email protected].