Health Matters: As Edmonds District schools remove lead from water, health advocates push for more childhood screenings

The Edmonds School District spent over $300,000 to remove lead from school water after testing revealed contamination at multiple sites, with one sink measuring 412 parts per billion—roughly 80 times the state standard. Health advocates are pushing Washington state to increase childhood blood lead testing, which remains among the nation’s lowest at under 10%. Snohomish County, which includes areas near Burien, has improved its testing rate from 3.3% in 2020 to 11.7% in 2025, but experts say more awareness and provider support are needed.