Find the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s 2018 research on lead testing in school drinking water: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-18-382

Read NASBE’s new report on How States Are Handling Lead in School Drinking Water: https://www.nasbe.org/how-states-are-handling-lead-in-school-drinking-water/

American Public Health Assocation’s Center for School, Health and Education is in attendance and live-tweeting this awesome webinar at twitter.com/StopDropOut!

Thank you, Thomas! That's great to hear. We're glad to have you in attendance today.

I’m honored you were able to use our research in writing your excellent new report. Here is a comment Dr. Cradock and I submitted to EPA in recent comment period on revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule, at https://www.regulations.gov/comment/EPA-HQ-OW-2021-0255-0058 . Please contact me at ceahecht@ucanr.edu if I can be helpful and check resources for school drinking water safety at drinkingwateralliance.org Our Alliance is also recommending actions through CNR. Happy to send you our letters to House and Senate committees. Thanks!

Learn more about the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s robust suite of resources for Training, Testing, and Taking Action (3Ts) to prepare schools, child care facilities, and states to build a voluntary implementation program to reduce lead levels in drinking water: https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/3ts-reducing-lead-drinking-water

Register for NASBE's next webinar here: https://www.nasbe.org/event/helping-schools-take-action-on-climate-change/

Please encourage use of EPA’s new data tracking tool, see this blurb, https://www.drinkingwateralliance.org/single-post/epa-adds-new-interactive-data-tracking-tool This will help us develop a national data base.

If there are any state board members or leaders from South Carolina on the call, your point of contact for support is Jocelyn Walters-Brannon, Public Participation Coordinator for DHEC Bureau of Water. She manages the Public Communications for the WIIN program. walterjy@dhec.sc.gov 803.722.0143

Thanks!

Can panelists discuss schools taking a prevention approach at every tap used for cooking and drinking, rather than just testing and remediating? Lead testing is highly variable, and most schools have plumbing and fixtures made with lead.

Thank you, Jocelyn!!

Resource shared on EPA's data tracking tool - https://www.drinkingwateralliance.org/single-post/epa-adds-new-interactive-data-tracking-tool

And learn more about the EPA’s robust suite of resources for Training, Testing, and Taking Action to prepare schools, child care facilities, and states to build a voluntary implementation program to reduce lead levels in drinking water: https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/3ts-reducing-lead-drinking-water

Factsheet outlining the benefit of schools taking a "filter first" approach to lead in water, rather than more and more testing before taking action to prevent contamination. https://www.ecocenter.org/sites/default/files/toxics/FF_cost%20est_6.9.21.pdf

Pamela! Thanks for talking about trust. Everything you said is true, and there’s another reason why trust is important: drinking water instead of sugary drinks is a public health priority because there are so many health risks associated with consumption of sugary drinks.

Here are resources on reopening building plumbing. Thank you for bringing this up. https://ucanr.edu/sites/NewNutritionPolicyInstitute/files/349331.pdf

I apologize but when registering I entered my email address incorrectly. My correct email address is: Cori.M.Ice@wv.gov.

Here’s a State Board Insight analysis detailing how states are ramping up lead testing and water flushing in schools due to prolonged school closures: https://stateboardinsight.nasbe.org/states-ramp-up-lead-testing-and-water-flushing-in-schools/

USDA highlighted these recommendations in https://www.fns.usda.gov/ofs/back-school-water-safety

Environment America's Get the Lead Out assessment of state policies on lead in schools' drinking water: https://environmentamerica.org/feature/ame/get-lead-out-0

A note of caution on filtration. Though it is an effective strategy when contaminant levels demand it, its costs should be considered (expense, storage, timely replacement and safe disposal).

Apologies if this was already stated. Is there a sign on letter being circulated that you can link to? Or current legislation that you are asking organizations to support?

Thanks, all, for your questions coming in. We'll be getting to them soon!

Chicago Public Schools has done a terrific job, including their study of remediation methods and decision to use flushing - highly effective with their automated flushing device.

ESSER funds can be utilized for facility repairs and improvements including installment of bottle filling stations and enhancement of plumbing infrastructure.

There is an unprecedented array of funding sources available to schools to stop lead contamination. It would take a tiny fraction of the $122 billion in ESSER funds to install filtered water stations for all schools at a rate of 1 per 100 students. WINN, the bipartisan infrastructure bill, and the reconciliation package all have more funding for schools as well.

Here's another great resource from the Congressional Research Service highlighting some federal funding streams for this work: https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF11911

On federal $$ opportunities, please check out our recent policy update as well - https://www.nasbe.org/using-federal-funds-to-remediate-lead/

Thank you Caroline.

Use the Purdue Center for Plumbing Safety website and these resources we vetted, https://ucanr.edu/sites/NewNutritionPolicyInstitute/files/349331.pdf

Here's Michigan's page with flushing guidance: https://www.michigan.gov/egle/0,9429,7-135-3313_3675_3691-474608--,00.html#:~:text=Free%3A%20Lead%20Testing%20in%20Schools,schools%20and%20child%20care%20facilities.

Here's Michigan's page with flushing guidance: https://www.michigan.gov/egle/0,9429,7-135-3313_3675_3691-474608--,00.html#:~:text=Free%3A%20Lead%20Testing%20in%20Schools,schools%20and%20child%20care%20facilities

https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/water/legionella/building-water-system.html

And guidance from CDC here on flushing: https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/water/legionella/building-water-system.html

This question is about consequences to people in the buildings that have lead in the water i.e., does it affect the kids or staff, does it result in elevated blood lead levels?

Resource for school drinking water safety, access and promotion, developed in tandem with CDC educational modules, https://9c073bb6-f7ef-48b6-ad05-b37094ec4e4f.usrfiles.com/ugd/9c073b_1e37b4417e7641abb4da3473e0b0154d.pdf and https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/npao/water_access_videos.htm

Thanks for this excellent webinar!

Thank you all for your participation in today's webinar and insightful questions. We will send follow up resource links and a recording to this webinar, but please feel free to reach out to NASBE's Megan Blanco (megan.blanco@nasbe.org) with specific questions! Thanks so much!

One more link! Chicago flushing device: https://www.drinkingwateralliance.org/single-post/2018/01/16/Chicago-Public-Schools-Invent-New-Water-Quality-Device