Water Testing

Since 2018, Pennsylvania schools that tested their water had to report any detectable lead. The July 2026 budget raised that to 5 parts per billion. We pulled the state's own spreadsheet — 999 readings from 764 school buildings — and found a median of 26.6 ppb, a maximum of 8,768 ppb, and only 67 of Pennsylvania's 500 school districts reporting anything at all in seven years. Meanwhile Michigan, Indiana, and Minnesota each expanded public reporting.

A $30 box of strips tells you if something's obviously off in a minute; a certified lab tells you exactly what and how much. Strips reliably screen chlorine, hardness, and pH — but lead, PFAS, arsenic, and bacteria are lab-only, and a strip that reads 'safe' on a lead-laced tap is just false confidence.