In an unsettling report released this week, advocacy organization PennEnvironment compared Pennsylvania’s response to lead in school drinking water with the response in 31 other states — and gave the Keystone State a dismal F grade.

This is unacceptable. Current state law encourages, but doesn’t require, annual testing and school districts are not mandated to provide test results to parents of students. How is this possible?

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, exposure to lead can be harmful even at low levels. The EPA noted that low levels of exposure for children can cause damage to the central and peripheral nervous system, behavioral problems, learning disabilities, lower IQ, shorter stature, slower growth, impaired hearing, anemia and impaired formation and function of blood cells. In rare cases, it can cause seizures, coma or even death.

Young children are particularly vulnerable because effects can occur at lower exposure levels than in adults.

It is our belief that the state should do more than encourage annual testing for lead in the water at schools — especially considering that lead and copper were detected in water at all three Karns City district schools last year. One of those schools is still relying on bottled water until the water quality is deemed safe to drink.

And the Butler School District has had documented issues with lead in the water dating back to 2016. The elementary school in Summit Township was forced to close while the well water was replaced with a municipal water line, and a hearing is scheduled next week in Butler County Court on criminal charges against the school district’s former maintenance supervisor alleging mishandling of water test records.

While the problems have been cleared up at district schools, the administration building still relies on water coolers. Although exposure to lead in water poses more serious threats to children, adults can also be harmed. Premature birth and a reduced growth of the fetus are possible threats for pregnant women, while adults can suffer from decreased kidney function, reproductive issues and cardiovascular effects — such as increased blood pressure.

Aside from health-related effects from drinking water contaminated with lead, school districts can open themselves up to legal action, as evidenced by a federal lawsuit that was brought after lead was found in the water at Summit Elementary.

We are glad to hear in Penn-Environment’s report that more than 70 state legislators have signed on to cosponsor a bill that would require annual testing of water outlets used for drinking and cooking, disclosing test results to parents and lowering Pennsylvania’s standard for lead in school water to five parts per billion from the current standard of 15 parts.

Ensuring that the water school children are drinking each day is safe is a top priority. “Schools should be safe places for our kids to learn and grow, but Pennsylvania is still failing to protect our kids from lead in drinking water,” said Stephanie Wein, PennEnvironment’s clean water advocate. We can and should do better.