1st Place, Bylined Opinion Article
2023-24, Division 4, News Writing
By Aaron Wang
The Crane-Clarion
Cranbrook Kingswood Upper School
The presence of lead in school drinking water is a crime against humanity. Even the smallest amount of lead exposure can be detrimental for children, as it seriously impairs health and development.
In 2014, the city of Flint switched its water source from the Huron River to the Flint River in an attempt to save money but failed to apply corrosion control to the water, causing lead from the pipes to leach into the water system. Nearly 100,000 Flint residents were exposed to lead, and even today, the effects linger.
Worried about the water, Michigan children were drinking, I established a nonprofit to provide free water testing to schools. Starting last summer, we reached out to 30 Michigan schools and offered testing kits.
The initial results were a wake-up call. Ten percent of the samples contained lead levels exceeding the legal limit of 15 parts per billion. We completed a second round of testing that confirmed the high lead levels and discussed solutions with the schools.
My results align with data collected by the state’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) in 2022 which revealed that children in over 160 schools, ranging from Sault Ste. Marie to Detroit, have tested positive for high blood lead levels due to contaminated water systems. These are only the areas where symptoms for lead poisoning are already present.
Then there’s the issue of poor government oversight. Regulators lack the teeth and urgency to create and enforce laws that properly ensure water safety.
Michigan currently implements federal rules that only require schools to sample drinking water if the source is not connected to public pipes. To date, no federal or Michigan law requires lead and copper testing for schools with a public water supply.
Schools face a catch-22 regarding water testing. Replacing a single fixture can cost hundreds, and the price tag of pipe replacement reaches the thousands.
Moreover, schools also risk their reputation-what would parents do if they found out their kids had been drinking lead-contaminated water?
Former Michigan Senator Paul Wojno’s children went to public schools, one of which was found to have high lead levels in its water system.
This discovery led Wojno to consider clean drinking water a top priority and motivated him to sponsor Senate Bills 184 and 185. The bills introduced a new “filter-first” approach to combat the lead-in-water issue, requiring schools to install filters and perform annual water testing.
“Testing is only a way to determine if there is an issue, and what kind of issue it might be, not an action that will reduce lead,” said Holly Gohlke, a water specialist with EGLE.
The bills passed the Michigan Senate but failed to meet the 2022 session deadline in the house. Reintroducing them in the 2023-24 legislature session is critical to address schools’ need for safe drinking water.
We must commit to this standard of safe drinking water through water testing, investing in filters, and educating students about water stewardship. Access to clean water is a fundamental human right and component of a child’s life. Let us ensure that every child has access to safe drinking water in their schools.
NW-07. Bylined Opinion Article
Article of personal opinion carrying the byline of the writer(s) presented in a style consistent with modern opinion column standards. The article should comment on a news or feature subject of interest (including sports) and/or concern to the readers, or may express dissent from the majority opinion expressed in editorials.
Judging Criteria
- Topic relevant to interests and/or welfare of school or students
- Wins reader interest with a compelling lead that urges action
- Presents evidence/interpretation in logical sequence
- States issue; uses effective examples, facts and comparisons to clarify
- Deals with specific issue; avoids preaching, rhetoric and cliches
- Shows sufficient thought and knowledge of subject, developed with personal style
- Proposes solution where appropriate
- Sentences, paragraphs of varied length; written clearly, concisely and vividly
- Proper diction/grammar