Pine Plains school officials slow to remediate lead in drinking water, state audit says

ALBANY – A state comptroller’s audit of the Pine Plains Central School District said it did not go far enough in its lead testing, reporting and remediation of drinking water in its buildings.

Lead is a metal that was commonly used in plumbing and has since been identified as toxic to people, especially young children.

Lead poisoning can cause neurological issues such as slowing children’s growth, causing learning and behavioral issues or causing hearing and speech problems, which can lead to greater difficulty performing well in school and beyond, the State Health Department says.

Testing and reporting for lead contamination began in 2016. This comptroller’s audit was for the period of July 1, 2019 through September 30, 2024.

The audit found that district officials did not properly id