Lead has been detected in more than half of the water fountains and sinks in 47 school districts tested in Bergen County, according to a new report by an environmental advocacy group.

The lead levels were high in many schools. The majority of the districts surveyed by Environment New Jersey had at least one fountain or sink where lead readings exceeded 15 parts per billion — the level set by the Environmental Protection Agency that requires districts to take some action. (See below for full list of locations tested.)

Many school districts have already shut down water fountains, replaced pipes and plumbing fixtures or installed filters to reduce the levels.

The report comes as the state's deadline to test water in schools ended last week. The Trenton-based group contacted 70 school districts in Bergen County for the information, but was provided complete testing results from only 47 districts.

"It shows that the problem is pervasive, that it hits all different kinds of districts," said Doug O'Malley, executive director of Environment New Jersey. "Bergen is the most populous county in the state, and it's a microcosm of New Jersey, because you have wealthy areas, middle-class suburbs and urban areas."

In most cases, lead contamination does not come from water suppliers, but rather from old pipes and plumbing fixtures.

But experts say there should be no lead at all in drinking water because it is harmful to human health even at low exposure levels and accumulates in the body over time.

The American Academy of Pediatrics advocates for immediately addressing the problem if readings in schools go above 1 part per billion — the equivalent of a drop of water in an Olympic-size swimming pool.

Schools are taking action. In a June letter to parents, Cliffside Park Superintendent Michael Romagnino said filters were being placed on some water lines and sinks that had high readings were removed.

Wallington remediated two water sources that exceeded the state standard at its high school. Subsequent tests show they are below the standard, according to a letter sent to parents in June.

About 10 percent of the fountains and sinks in the report's 47 districts had lead levels above 15 parts per billion. Overall, the lead levels averaged about 5 to 6 parts per billion per district, O'Malley said.

Of the 47 districts, 35 had at least one reading above 15 parts per billion.

Eight of the 10 schools in Ridgewood had at least one lead reading above the federal standard.

"This is not the first time we've tested, but each time something comes up in one of our 100-year-old buildings," said Dr. Wayne Yankus, the school doctor for Ridgewood. "The district acts quickly, because this is one exposure we can control."

The testing was done under an order signed last year by Gov. Chris Christie amid public alarm over lead findings in Flint, Mich., and at 30 schools in Newark. The results are to be sent to the state Department of Education.

State Sen. Bob Gordon, D-Fair Lawn, said the state needs to give districts more money to replace their lead pipes, although he is unsure where the anticipated tens of millions of dollars needed for Bergen County alone would come from.

"These initial results show that we need a more robust response and we need a state and federal action that focuses on both testing and remediation," Gordon said of the Environment New Jersey report.

The state requires all districts to conduct follow-up water testing at least every six years. They must make results publicly available and send written notices to parents if elevated lead levels are found.

"No lead is good lead," said Yankus, a pediatrician. "We want to reduce the exposure to a toxic substance that will have an impact for a lifetime.”

The districts that exceeded the federal standard are:

Special School District/Technical Schools

Bergenfield

Bogota

Carlstadt

Closter

Cresskill

Demarest

Dumont

East Rutherford

Elmwood Park

Emerson

Englewood Cliffs

Fair Lawn

Fairview

Franklin Lakes

Glen Rock

Hackensack

Hasbrouck Heights

Haworth

Lodi

Lyndhurst Township

Mahwah

Montvale

Northern Valley

Northvale

Oakland

Oradell

Paramus

Ramapo Indian Hills

Ramsey

Ridgefield Park

Ridgewood

Saddlebrook Township

Saddle River

Woodcliff Lake

The districts that did not exceed the federal standard but still have lead are:

Allendale

Garfield

Little Ferry

North Arlington

Northern Highlands

Norwood

Old Tappan

River Edge

Rutherford

Tenafly

Upper Saddle River

Wyckoff

To check out how your school district did, visit this link.

If your district is not listed, it's because Environment New Jersey did not receive completed test results from that district.