United States April
Environmental Protection 1989
Agency
Office of Water
vxEPA LEAD
In School
Drinking Water
A Manual For
Schools And
Day Care
Centers
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EPA estimates that every year
over a quarter of a million children
are exposed to lead in drinking
water at levels high enough to
impair their intellectual and
physical development. Some of
this exposure occurs in sclwols
and day care centers.
The children in your school or day
care center may be drinking water with
high concentrations of lead. Medical
research shows lead to be a toxic metal
which can be harmful to human health
even at low exposure levels. Young chil-
dren, infants, and fetuses are especially
vulnerable to lead because the physical and
behavioral effects of lead occur at lower
exposure levels in children than in adults.
In passing the Amendment to the Safe
Drinking Water Act known as the Lead
Contamination Control Act, Congress
specifically addressed the problem of lead
in the drinking water of schools and day
care centers. EPA's manual, Lead in
School Drinking Water, explains your
responsibilities under this important law,
especially if your school supplies its own
water. It also gives you the information
you need to conduct a thorough and
accurate testing program and advice on
implementing effective lead reduction
measures.
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LEAD
IN SCHOOL
DRINKING
WATER
Taking action
Lead usually enters a school's drinking
water through the corrosion of materials
containing lead in its interior distributi-
on/plumbing system. Testing is the only sure
way of telling whether or not there are harm-
ful amounts of lead in the water. EPA's
easy-to-use manual provides not only gener-
al information on the causes and effects of
lead contamination, but step-by-step instruc-
tions for sampling the water to detect lead
contamination and pinpoint its source.
Who should use this manual?
Public and private school officials with
responsibility for the quality of drinking
water in their schools, including:
• Superintendents of Schools
• Principals
• Heads of buildings and grounds or
facilities departments
• Science department chairpersons
• Heads of nursery schools and day
care organizations
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What the manual provides
O general information on the significance
of lead in school drinking water and
specifically its effects on children;
© an overview of the amendments to the
Safe Drinking Water Act and
regulations which affect school
administrators;
© information on how lead gets into your
school's drinking water, when to expect
lead contamination, and how to make
an accurate plumbing profile of your
school;
0 a protocol which includes simple, step-
by-step sampling procedures to help
you detect the presence of lead in your
school's water and pinpoint its source;
0 advice on the options available to
reduce or eliminate lead in your
school's drinking water;
® information necessary to train your
personnel in sampling and remedial
programs.
Lead in drinking water can be a sensitive
issue. This manual will also help you
respond to public concerns about school
drinking water and prepare informational
materials (such as handouts and bulletins)
for your community.
Lead In School Drinking Water (GPO Stock
# 055-000-00281-9), is available for $3.25 per
copy from the Superintendent of Documents,
U.S. Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402
For easier ordering, you may
use the attached order form.
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Please send me copy(s) of the EPA publication, Lead in School Drinking Water.
The GPO Stock number is 055-000-00281-9. I enclose $3.25 for each copy ordered (check or
money order).
Name Amount
Enclosed
Organization,
Address
City State Zip.
RETURN TO: Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402
(202) 783-3238
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