DUNN, N.C.  — Officials in Harnett County say slightly elevated levels of lead have been found in the water at two elementary schools.

School officials told local media outlets that bottled water is being provided to students at Erwin Elementary and Benhaven Elementary.

Officials said the slightly elevated lead levels were found in several places in the buildings but not in the kitchens.

Erwin Elementary was built in 1926 and upgraded in 1948. Benhaven was built in 1924 and upgraded in 1936 and 1948.

“The way construction is done is very different then when it was back then. So there’s different rules and regulations and the lead levels come from the type of pipes the water is running through,” said Patricia Harmon-Lewis with Harnett County Schools.

Officials said since they learned of the test results they’ve flushed the water system on days after weekends and holidays. They’ve also removed some water fountains and sinks and replaced them with water dispensers and hand-washing stations.

Water is being brought in for the ice machines and cafeterias.

The effort was part of normal testing over the summer and officials are in the process of making the needed repairs.

A letter from Superintendent Stan Williams was sent home to parents on Friday. “Harnett County Schools considers the safety of our students and staff to be our primary responsibility,” he wrote. “Once Harnett County Schools learned of these results, we immediately began implementing steps to ensure safe water for our students and staff at Benhaven and Erwin.”

Williams said that Harnett County Public Utilities is partnering with the school system to address the issue. “All water supplied from Public Utilities is tested regularly and extensively for numerous factors including lead levels,” he wrote.

In May CBS North Carolina investigates found that since 2005, more than 45 schools in North Carolina have turned up high levels of lead and there could be even more.

That’s because there is no state law requiring water testing in schools.

House bill 1074 would have changed that, making it mandatory for testing in schools and childcare facilities built before 1987. That was the year lead was outlawed for use in water pipes. That bill though stalled in a Senate committee.