Families Allege Lead in Air Force Housing
PHOTO CAPTION: A Navy contractor collects a drinking-water sample at a military housing residence in Hawaii in April 2025. Separately, families at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado have reported positive at-home lead tests on plumbing fixtures and detectable lead in their children's blood. U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Krystal Diaz.
Military families living at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado say their children tested positive for lead after they discovered possible contamination in their government-provided housing, with several parents alleging that the installation's medical clinic initially refused to order the blood tests they requested.
The allegations were detailed in an October 8 investigation by The Gazette, which interviewed multiple families concerned about the safety of their homes and the response from Hunt Military Communities, the private company that manages housing at the installation.
Parents said they began investigating after at-home testing swabs detected lead on plumbing fixtures inside their residences.
Several families subsequently took their children to Children's Hospital Colorado, where blood tests detected lead.
The reported levels were low enough that medical treatment was not required. However, health officials emphasize that no level of lead exposure in children is considered safe.
One parent, Kevin Leong, said he requested testing for his toddler and 20-month-old child through the Academy's 10th Medical Group.
According to Leong, a nurse told him that a physician would not authorize the blood tests because Hunt Military Communities had informed medical staff that his at-home lead tests were false positives.
Leong eventually took both children to Children's Hospital Colorado, where testing showed detectable levels of lead in their blood.
The family was advised to limit further exposure.
Leong said the situation was particularly concerning because his wife is pregnant with their third child.
He also described longstanding problems with the family's military housing.
According to Leong, sewage had flooded their home three times during the previous year.
He said his family should not have to investigate potential environmental hazards simply to determine whether the housing provided to them is safe.
Another military mother told The Gazette that her infant also tested positive for a low level of lead after the family sought medical care outside the installation.
She said the base medical clinic had declined their request for testing.
The mother became concerned after her husband overheard another person discussing possible lead contamination at the installation's housing office.
A third mother said lead was detected in her child's blood during a routine medical examination. She subsequently tested plumbing fixtures in her home and reported positive results on all the kitchen fixtures she checked.
The families have switched to bottled or filtered water while awaiting additional information.
The Gazette reported that at least one residence had plumbing fixtures replaced during the week of October 8, although Leong said his family had not been offered the same remedy.
The central concern is whether materials inside the homes, including faucets and other plumbing components, could be contributing to lead exposure.
Lead can enter drinking water when plumbing materials corrode, particularly when water remains in contact with certain fixtures or pipes for extended periods.
Colorado Springs Utilities told The Gazette that its system does not contain lead water mains or lead service lines.
However, that does not rule out the possibility of lead entering water through plumbing fixtures or other components inside individual homes.
State health officials also cautioned that positive at-home swab tests should be followed by testing through a certified laboratory.
The swab results alone do not establish how much lead, if any, is present in the drinking water.
Likewise, the presence of lead in the children's blood does not independently establish that the Academy housing was the source of their exposure.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says lead exposure can affect children's physical and neurological development, even when no obvious symptoms are present.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment recommends early testing when exposure is suspected so families can take steps to prevent continued exposure.
The families interviewed by The Gazette said they were frustrated by the lack of clear answers from the housing contractor and the difficulty obtaining medical testing.
Hunt Military Communities did not respond to the newspaper's questions before publication.
The Air Force Academy also had not answered questions about the reported refusal of blood tests by its medical staff when the article was published.
The allegations raise questions about environmental monitoring, medical access and the responsibility of military housing operators to investigate possible health hazards when service members and their families report concerns.
For the families involved, the immediate priorities are determining whether their homes contain unsafe levels of lead, identifying any exposure sources and ensuring their children receive appropriate medical monitoring.
The full extent of any potential contamination at the Air Force Academy remains undetermined.
(Source: OAF Nation)
