United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water 4601 EPA810/F-90-021 February 1990 &ER& FACT SHEET: LEAD IN DRINKING WATER COOLERS Protecting the nation's children from exposure to lead from school drinking water coolers is the primary goal of the Lead Contamination Control Act (LCCA), which was signed into law on October 31,1988. EPA recommends that drinking water outlets-especially water coolers~in schools be tested to ensure that lead levels in the water are below 20 parts per billion. This fact sheet will help school administrators address the problem of school water coolers that contain lead. It reflects current information as of February 1990. The information on the accompanying list will be updated periodically. How To Identify Problems First, Identify which water coolers contain lead com- ponents; follow these steps as a minimum protocol. Inventory each cooler and note Its brand, model, serial number, and year. Check the accompanying list to identify any coolers that are not lead free. Sample water from all outlets where lead contami- nation is most likely, especially coolers that are not lead free and those wtth lead-lined tanks. However, even coolers that are "lead free" may have high lead levels in their water due to other sources In the plumbing system and should be tested. Follow the sampling and testing protocols in the EPA booklet Lead in Schools Drinking Water. (See the box below, right) Contact your State agency responsible for the LCCA program (see box below, right) for information and assistance on testing your water samples. Water samples should be sent only to certified laboratories that use the EPA-approved Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption (AA) method. In some cases, the local water supplier, local or State department of health or environment, or the lab will collect and analyze the samples. In most cases, the lab will provide contain- ers and instructions for collection. The charge for lab tests ranges from $7 to $30 per sample. In some States or localities, there may be funding available for testing. What To Do If Problems Are Found If the lead level of any fountain or outlet exceeds 20 parts per billion (ppb), take immediate action to reduce the level of contamination. Rushing outlets on a daily basis before school begins may sufficiently reduce exposures, especially if the problem is localized to a few outlets in a building. How- ever, daily flushing may not be practical for water coolers. Take follow-up samples from any outlet with lead levels above 20 ppb to pinpoint the source of the problem. Make sure to follow the instructions in the EPA booklet Lead In School Drinking Water. If you find a cooler to be the source of the lead, contact the distributor or manufacturer to deter- mine how the problem may be corrected. If a cooler that is not lead free is responsible for high lead levels, removal may be necessary. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has the responsibility to issue an order to require manufacturers and importers to repair, replace or recall water coolers identified by EPA has having lead-lined tanks. Con- tact the CPSC Hotline (800/638-2772) to determine the status of their actions. For More Information Contact the StaM office listed below for information on identifying and eon-acting laad in drinking water problams. Contact the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800/426-4791 for other information and for the booklet {.MO1 In Schools Drinking Water. ------- Fact Sheet: Lead In Drinking Water Coders Water Coolers With Lead-Lined Tanks The following list of model numbers represents all of the drinking water coolers with lead-lined tanks that have been identified to date. The models listed here were selected because one or more of the units in that model series have been tested and found to have lead-lined tanks. These six models are made by the Halsey Taylor Company. WM8A WT8A GC 10ACR GC10A GC5A RWM 13A Other Water Coolers Containing Lead EBCO Manufacturing Company EBCO has identified all pressure bubbler water coolers with shipping dates from 1962 through 1977 as having a bubbler valve containing lead, as defined by the LCCA. The units contain a single 50-50 tin-lead solder joint on the bubbler valve. Model numbers for those coolers in this category were not available. The following EBCO models of pressure bubbler coolers produced from 1978 through 1981 contain one 50-50 tin-lead solder joint each: CP3 CP10-50 DP20-50 DP13A DP7M DP13M-60 CP5M DP14S DP5F CP3-50 7P DP3R DP13A-50 PX-10 DP7MH DP14M DP15MW DP7SM DP10F CP3H 13P DP3RH DP14A-50/60 DP12N DPM8 DP15M DP5S DP13SM EP5F CP5 13PL DP8A DP10X np-mw DPM8H DP16M DP7S DP7WM EP10F CP10 DP20 DP8AH C10E DP5M DP13M CP3M DP13S DP7WMD WTC10 LXJ 1 WIVI V V *mft 1 W V * Pressure bubbler water coolers manufactured by EBCO and marketed under the "Oasis" and "Kelvinator" brand names with the identified model number* have been distributed in the U.S. In addition, EBCO indicated that "Aquarius" pressure bubbler water coolers are manufactured for distribution in foreign countries, including Canada. Although unlikely, it is conceivable that an "Aquarius" cooler with one of the model numbers listed above could have been transported into the U.S. Halsey Taylor Company Halsey Taylor reports using lead solder in these models of water cooler manufactured between 1978 and the last week of 1987. WMA-I . SCWT/SCWT-A SWA-I DC/DHC-1 S3/5/10 D BFC-4F/7F/4FS77FS S300/500/1000D In addition to these Halsey Taylor models, Halsey Taylor indicates that the following Haws brand coolers manufactured for Haws by Halsey Taylor from November 1984 through December 18, 1987, are not lead free because they contain two tin-lead solder joints. The model designations for these coolers are: HC8WT HC14W HC8WTH HC4F HC14WT HC4FH HC14WTH HC8F HC14WL HC8FH HC16WT HC14F HC4W HC14FH HC6W HC14FL HC8W HCBF7 HCBF7D HCBF7HO HWC7 HWC7D HC2F HC2FH HC5F HC10F Note: A number of water coolers have been deleted from the proposed list identifying them as not lead free. For information about these water coolers and others, refer to the January 18, 1990 Federal Register notice. I ^^^^^^^^^mitlimm^^^^^^^^^^^-^mi^^^^^m ------- |