Elevated Lead Level Found in Southwest Library’s Drinking Water

The amount of lead in drinking water at the Southwest Library did not meet federal guidelines this month, D.C. Public Library announced yesterday.

The library at 900 Wesley Place SW was one of four libraries with drinking water lead levels that weren’t up to Environmental Protection Agency standards earlier this month, DCPL executive director Richard Reyes-Gavilan wrote in an email to locals yesterday.

A drinking fountain was the only source of water found with an elevated lead level at the Southwest Library during testing the first two weeks of June. The fountain is now shut off and is undergoing repairs.

Of the 121 other drinking water sources tested this month, only six sinks and fountains at the Georgetown, Lamond-Riggs and Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial libraries didn’t meet EPA guidelines, which say lead in drinking water only should reach a quarter of one percent.

“Your safety is paramount,” Reyes-Gavilan wrote. “If you are concerned about your health or the health of your family, we recommend you contact your family physician.”

Photo via D.C. Public Library