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A student walks in the hallway past a water fountain at Noble School in Detroit, Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday announced $26 million in funding to help schools and child care facilities test for and treat lead contamination in drinking water.
The annual funding is part of the Voluntary School and Childcare Lead Testing and Reduction Grant, which has provided more than $150 million to schools and day cares across the U.S. since 2019.
Exposure to lead can impact cognitive and physical development among children, and can cause heart disease, decreased kidney function and cancer among adults.
“The science is clear: There is no safe level of exposure to lead,” said acting assistant administrator for water Bruno Pigott. “As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, this $26 million will help protect our children from the harmful impacts of lead.”
This year, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware will receive $958,000, $510,000 and $95,000, respectively.
Pennsylvania schools are encouraged to test for lead, but no law requires them to do so.
A 2021 report by Women for a Healthy Environment found that of 65 Pennsylvania school districts surveyed, 91% of water tests detected lead. Last year, lawmakers introduced a bill that would require schools to replace outdated water fountains with filtered water by 2026.
In 2021, 4,907 Pennsylvania children tested positive and were confirmed to have elevated blood lead levels. Lead paint is the most significant source of lead exposure, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
Last year, WHYY News found about 5% of water samples at Delaware schools detected lead above state standards. To address lead contamination in schools, the state promised to spend $3.8 million to install filtration systems, and Democratic Gov. John Carney signed legislation mandating lead testing in schools beginning this year.
In New Jersey, schools are mandated by law to test for lead every three years and cut off access to lead-contaminated water. Last year, news reports showed that 56% of school water outlets in the state contained high lead levels.
Rachel Thomas, senior communications advisor for the White House, said this year’s funding will help schools with limited resources tackle the expensive undertaking of removing contaminants from drinking water.
“Many school teachers just don’t have the resources to be able to do that lead testing and be able to to replace those facilities in school,” she said. “So, that’s exactly what this funding will go towards.”
The EPA is also investing $15 billion under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to remove and replace lead pipes. The agency is advancing its Get the Lead Out initiative by helping communities identify and replace lead service lines.
So far, funding from the bipartisan infrastructure law has helped replace 1.7 million lead pipes across the U.S. The Biden administration estimates about 9 million homes, schools, day cares and businesses have lead pipes.