The Chicago Park District says it may remove up to half its outdoor drinking fountains after tests found high levels of lead in the water.
The district said Monday it has removed about 100 of its roughly 1,250 fountains. Approximately 550 other fountains in low-traffic areas will remain shut off until they've been remediated or removed.
Another 100, like the one in front of the Hebe statue on South Michigan Avenue, will run on continuous flow to reduce the risk.
Park district spokeswoman Jessica Maxey-Faulkner told the Chicago Tribune the shut-off fountains had lead content greater than federal regulations allow in bottled water.
Josh Mogerman of the Natural Resources Defense Council said the parks system is making the correct decision, especially since children are vulnerable to the effects of lead exposure.
The district shut off about 18 percent of its indoor and outdoor water fountains in 2016 after initial testing.
