Valerie Wilson, center, school business administrator for the Newark Public Schools system, speaks at a news conference addressing recent finding of lead levels in Newark schools, Wednesday, March 9, 2016, in Newark, N.J. Standing with Wilson are Cristopher Cerf, left, Superintendent of Newark Public Schools, and Anthony Ambrose, acting director of public safety for Newark. Credit: AP Photo/Julio Cortez

Elevated levels of lead and discoloration caused officials to shut off the water taps at 30 schools in Newark, New Jersey, on Wednesday.

The state Department of Environmental Protection and the city’s school district are currently using alternate water sources, according to a joint release from both parties.

City officials have emphasized that this is a problem with lead piping in the various schools and that overall Newark’s water is unaffected.

“The problem is localized in the finite number of schools, and those are the schools that are the oldest and still have lead piping,” Frank Baraff, the city’s communications director, told The Huffington Post Wednesday. The city’s water supply is “perfectly safe,” he said.

Baraff, who said the school […]

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