Clean Water: Contaminated CPS Efforts to Flush Lead from School Fountains

Saturday, November 2, 2024, 3:02 p.m

Contaminated CPS Efforts to Flush Lead from School FountainsA CPS official credits a high school civil engineer with inventing a drinking fountain that flushes lead, but doesn’t say it’s covered by a patent.

CHICAGO — Access to clean drinking water in Chicago Public Schools is a priority for top CPS official Robert Christlieb.

His efforts to solve this problem include installing an invention called Noah.

This device automatically flushes waterers on a set schedule to reduce lead buildup in standing water.

Christlieb publicly credited Noah’s invention to a high school civil engineer, but did not mention that he was a co-inventor of the device.

CPS prohibits its employees from doing business with the school system.

The district declined to provide details on whether Christlieb violated any of its policies.