In 2022, the Missouri General Assembly passed the “Get the Lead Out of School Drinking Water Act” (RSMO 160.077), which sets standards for lead concentrations in school drinking water. The law requires schools to conduct inventory, sampling, remediation, and monitoring at all potable water outlets used for drinking, food preparation, and cooking or cleaning utensils.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) currently has a lead drinking water standard limit of 15 micrograms per liter (ug/L) of lead in water. The 2022 Missouri law referenced earlier has changed that standard to a 5 ug/l limit for school buildings.

During Spring Break, we will conduct testing in select buildings. All samples will be collected by an environmental contractor who will follow all of the recommended procedures by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. The samples will be taken to a certified testing lab for processing, and if any of the tested water outlets test higher than 5 (ug/L), we will post the results within seven days. We will also immediately take any outlet that exceeds 5 (ug/L) out of service until the concern is remediated. The results of these tests will be posted per guidelines as recommended by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Guidelines.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services shared a Tips for Schools resource document, which provides additional information for testing lead in drinking water.