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High lead levels found in drinking water at 4 Polk County schools; More tests underway

Lead testing showed the toxin in drinking water at several Polk County schools.
Photo Credit: Scott Wheeler/The Ledger

Editor's Note: The photo above is courtesy of The Ledger.

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Polk County school officials are testing more than 150 schools for lead contamination in cooking and drinking water.

Four of the first five schools that were tested showed increased levels of the toxin.

Those schools include Cleveland Court Elementary School, Union Academy, Inwood Elementary School and Winston Academy of Engineering.

Bottled water is being supplied to students and staff those campuses.

Related: 26 samples across Hillsborough County schools had high lead concentration levels

Lead typically gets into drinking water when pipes that contain it corrode.

Since lead is a toxic metal, even low exposure levels can be harmful to humans -- especially children. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, lead exposure in young people has been linked to central nervous system damage and learning disabilities, among other issues.

Click here to learn more about the potential dangers of lead.

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