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USA Today Investigation Finds Unsafe Drinking Water Lead Levels in All 50 States

By Sean Breslin

March 18, 2016

It's a problem that goes way beyond Flint, Michigan: lead contamination has been found in the drinking water of nearly 2,000 water systems across the United States.

The USA Today investigation discovered the problem in all 50 states. Lead levels that exceed federal standards are in the water that flows through our faucets, affecting 6 million people across the country.

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Darius Simpson, an Eastern Michigan University student from Akron, Ohio, carries water he brought to donate for Flint residents during a rally on Jan. 24, 2016 at Flint City Hall in Flint, Michigan.
(Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
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"Journalists obtained data documenting any 'action-level exceedance' for lead," the report explained. "We captured all tests above the action level for 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. We also looked at more complete water testing data obtained from several large states, which are the original source of most of the information that feeds into the EPA's database."

(MORE: $30 Million Approved to Help Pay Flint's Water Bills)

Some of the highest lead levels were found in schools and day care facilities, the report found. Lead poisoning can be especially dangerous for children and pregnant women, as it can lead to problems with mental and physical development, according to the Mayo Clinic. One school in Ithaca, New York, reported lead levels as high as 5,000 parts per billion during one test within the last year. The EPA mandates lead levels rise no higher than 15 parts per billion, USA Today said.

"This is most definitely a problem that needs emergent care," said Ithaca resident Melissa Hoffman, a parent, at a recent public hearing.

While the problems in Flint have grabbed attention and headlines, the USA Today investigation shows just how widespread the problem has become. Despite finding lead in hundreds of water systems nationwide, officials fear the problem could be far more widespread. Testing is "limited and inconsistent," the report said, as cities are only required to test a small fraction of taps periodically.

With up to 75 million American households likely containing lead plumbing, testing needs to be expanded, the investigation found. Flint may have been an extreme case, but some of the risks associated with that crisis are present in smaller but still dangerous levels in other areas.

If you'd like to see which water systems tested at unsafe lead levels, the report has an interactive state-by-state breakdown about halfway down the page.

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MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Flint's Water Crisis

Matt Hopper holds and comforts Nyla Hopper, age 5 of Flint, after she has her blood drawn to be tested for lead on January 26, 2016 at Eisenhower Elementary School in Flint, Michigan. (Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
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Matt Hopper holds and comforts Nyla Hopper, age 5 of Flint, after she has her blood drawn to be tested for lead on January 26, 2016 at Eisenhower Elementary School in Flint, Michigan. (Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
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