Excessive lead found in 30 Oklahoma water systems since 2013

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – A sample of an Oklahoma prison’s drinking water had more than 12 times the allowed amount of lead when it was tested last year – an amount so high that officials question whether the test was accurate.

A crisis in Flint, Michigan, where there has been no tap water for months, has highlighted how lead-tainted water can poison children and affect IQ.

An Associated Press analysis of Environmental Protection Agency data found a sample from the Charles E. Johnson Correctional Center in Alva was 182 parts per billion. It’s one of 30 Oklahoma water systems to have lead levels exceeding the limit of 15 parts per billion.

Prison spokeswoman Terry Watkins says the prison has no lead pipes, the water is purchased from the city of Alva and the city’s water hasn’t been above the limit.