More than 1,100 water sources within Washington schools have returned elevated test results for lead content above the state’s safety standards, imposing an immediate health risk to some students.

The discovery of the contaminated water came from Silver Beach Elementary School in Bellingham. Room 7 inside the school tested for 4,853 parts per billion of lead, roughly 970 times the state law’s amount, according to KING 5 .

The Room 7 test results were the single highest reading of more than 10,000 tests since 2021.

“It was alarming, and we got a phone call right away from the Department of Health … and just leapt into action,” Jessica Sankey, chief operating officer for Bellingham Schools, told KING 5.

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