WASHINGTON, DC – In an effort to protect students from lead in school drinking water, U.S. Senator Jack Reed today announced a new, two-year $703,000 federal grant to test for lead in drinking water at local schools and child care centers.

The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) will receive the funds through a new Lead Testing in School and Child Care Program Drinking Water Grant, which is administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  The funds may be used to provide free analytical water testing for schools and child care facilities, and help communities develop and implement plans to reduce lead in drinking water and communicate to parents, staff, and the larger school community.

“We’ve got to ensure that children have safe and healthy places to live and learn.  Parents, students, and teachers have a right to know that the water at schools and child care facilities are clean and safe.  This federal grant will help support the state’s initiatives to protect students and ensure safe drinking water for all,” said Senator Reed, who helped authorize the federal funding for lead testing in school and child care facilities' drinking water under a section of the national Water Infrastructure Improvement (WIIN) Act.  Earlier this year, Reed worked to appropriate $43.7 million for the Lead Testing in School and Child Care Program Drinking Water Grant. 

“We need more lead testing, including at schools and child care centers, but we can’t stop there.  We also need a major federal commitment to help communities rebuild and renovate school buildings so that they are free from all health hazards and become places that inspire learning, ” added Reed, who introduced the Rebuild America’s Schools Act, which would invest $100 billion in school infrastructure over the next decade.

“Protecting children from lead poisoning is a priority for the Department of Health, so we are very pleased to receive this grant,” said Director of Health Nicole Alexander-Scott, MD, MPH. “This grant is specifically designated to support testing for lead in drinking water at schools and childcare facilities. This grant will allow us to expand school testing that we started in 2017 and collect up to 20 samples at each public school. More comprehensive testing will allow school districts to better evaluate their drinking water infrastructure and to prioritize any necessary remediation efforts to effectively reduce exposure to lead through drinking water. Sampling will begin in 2020, and RIDOH will share test results with school districts and the public on RIDOH’s website.”

Older drinking water infrastructure may contain lead, a neurotoxin that can cause significant health damage to children.  During the first half of the 20th century, lead was commonly used for plumbing because the metal was malleable enough to mold into pipes, yet durable enough to resist leaking and corroding over time.  However, lead was proven to be toxic, so Congress banned the use of lead pipes in 1986 under the Safe Drinking Water Act.  But today, as water travels through older pipes that were not replaced, lead may accumulate.  And utilities cannot always control the problem because property owners usually own the pipes that connect homes and buildings to the water mains.

According to researchers at New York University, lead poisoning costs the U.S. $51 billion annually.

Results of water testing at local schools across the state may be found at the Rhode Island Department of Health website.

As the Ranking Member of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations Subcommittee Reed has championed efforts to boost federal funding for lead prevention grants nationwide.  Last month, Reed delivered over $12 million to support the state's efforts to reduce exposure to lead contaminants in soil, dust, and paint – the three main sources of lead poisoning for children. 

Under the terms of the federal grant, RIDOH will implement a program of voluntary testing for lead in drinking water at local schools and child care centers.  It will focus efforts to 1) communicate results and important lead information to the public, parents, teachers, and larger communities throughout the implementation of the program; 2) train facilities on the risks of lead in drinking water and testing for lead; 3) test for lead using appropriate testing protocols and certified laboratories; and 4) take action by developing a plan for responding to results of testing conducted and addressing potential elevated lead levels where necessary.