Further Information on
Lead in School Drinking Water
EPA Web site on Lead in Drinking Water in
Schools
www.epa.gov/safewater/lead/schoolanddccs.htm
Publications at www.epa.gov/safewater/Pubs.
Lead in Drinking Water at Schools and Non-
residential Buildings. EPA812-B-94-002, 1994.
Also available in pdf format at
www.epa.gov/safewater/consumer/leadinschools
.pdf
Sampling for Lead in Drinking Water in Nursery
Schools and Day Care Facilities, EPA812-B-94-
003, 1994. Also available in pdf format at
www.epa.gov/safewater/lead/testing.htiTtffix
Lead in School Drinking Water, EPA 5709-89-001,
1989.
National Lead Information Center
(800) 424 - LEAD [5323]
http://www.epa.gov/lead/nlic.htm
EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline
(800)426-4791
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/hotline/index.htm
United States
EnvfronmcriUil
Agancy
Protecting Children from
Lead in Drinking Water
at Schools & Child Care
Centers
Produced by EPA Region 2
New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands
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What are the concerns about
lead in drinking water?
Lead is a toxic metal that can enter our bodies
from air, food, dust, dirt or water. Unlike most
other contaminants, lead is stored in our bones
and is later released into our bloodstreams. As a
result, even small doses can accumulate and
become harmful, especially for pregnant and
nursing women, infants and young children.
Growing bodies tend to absorb more lead than the
average adult.
Exposure to lead is a health risk. At very low
levels of exposure, children can experience
reduced I.Q. levels, reduced attention spans,
impaired learning and language skills, loss of
hearing and poor classroom performance. At high
levels, lead can seriously damage the brain. The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) has identified a blood lead level of 10
micrograms per deciliter as the level of concern
for lead in children.
Although rarely the sole cause of lead poisoning,
lead in drinking water can significantly increase a
person's total lead exposure. Since you cannot
see, taste, or smell lead in water, testing is
strongly encouraged by the EPA. Many children
spend a large part of their day at school or in child
care facilities. The outlets that provide water for
drinking, cooking, lunch, and preparing juice and
infant formula should be lead free.
Is there lead in school
drinking water?
Water delivered from your community's public
water supply must meet federal and state
standards for lead. You may, however, still end
up with too much lead in your drinking water due
to the plumbing in your building and the building's
water use patterns. Water system tests are not
an indicator of conditions at a specific outlet.
Lead generally gets into drinking water through
contact with plumbing materials, such as pipes,
fountain/faucet fixtures, and solder that contain
lead. In general, older fixtures and pipes contain
more lead than newer parts. In 1986, Congress
banned the use of lead solder containing greater
than 0.2% lead, and restricted the lead content of
faucets, pipes, and other plumbing materials to
8.0%. Buildings did not have to be built with
certified lead-free fixtures until 1997, so the
original lead may still be in the plumbing system
What steps can you take to reduce lead
in your school's drinking water?
or fixtures at your school or child care center.
Also, the longer water stays in contact with
leaded plumbing, the more the opportunity exists
for lead to enter the water. As a result, facilities
with on-again, off-again water use patterns, such
as schools and child care centers, may have high
lead levels.
EPA has established a guideline for lead in
school drinking water of 20 parts per billion (ppb).
EPA recommends that when this level is
exceeded, steps should be taken to limit
exposure or reduce it.
Use cold water for drinking/food preparation.
Flush the plumbing: Let the cold water run
until it becomes as cold as it can get. Flush out
water that has been standing in the pipes and
fixtures overnight, over a weekend or during
vacation.
Clean debris from faucet screens frequently.
Have an electrician find alternate
grounding for electrical wires that are grounded
to water pipes.
Check for recalled water coolers. EPA's
fact sheet Lead in Drinking Water Coolers (EPA
A810/F-90-021) has a list of manufacturers and
model numbers of coolers that contain lead.
Use a certified lab to test for lead at
outlets. Consult EPA's 1994 publication Lead in
Drinking Water in Schools and Non-residential
Buildings. This guidance document contains
step-by-step instructions for sampling water for
lead at an outlet and indicates how to correct lead
problems.
Turn off outlets with lead results above 20
ppb and prioritize remediation.
Keep up to date with plumbing standards.
Consultwww.nsf.org for most recent information.
Educate: Provide data about your lead testing
program to your community.
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