Boston—along with more than 30 other U.S. cities—has cooked the books on its water testing, underestimating the amount of lead in its water, according to a report by The Guardian.
Of those, 21 cities, including Boston use the same system to test water that was used in Flint, Mich., the Guardian reports, where, three officials were charged with crimes in the wake of that cities water crisis.
The Guardian lists Boston, Worcester and Springfield among cities that "pre-flushed" pipes ahead of testing for lead, ignoring Environmental Protection Agency instructions. Boston was also among the cities that told water testers to run water slowly during the test, which results in less lead turning up in the water.
The city of Boston told The Guardian it intends to change its testing procedures before its next round of testing.
Boston has had its own issues with students being exposed to lead-tainted water. Two Boston Public Schools employees were placed on leave after elevated lead levels were found in nine schools.
