DALLAS — Texas will expand voluntary lead testing in schools and daycare centers.
Under a new statewide program, schools and childcare centers will have access to free sampling materials, laboratory testing and a self-guided online portal to help them test drinking water for lead.
The program is part of a nationwide effort to improve drinking water infrastructure, particularly in disadvantaged and underserved communities.
Across the country, schools and cities have struggled with aging infrastructure and equipment that contribute to high levels of lead. Lead leeches into drinking water from old pipes, faucets and plumbing fixtures.
Exposure in children can cause slowed growth, impaired hearing, behavior and learning problems and lower IQs. Young children are particularly vulnerable to the health effects of lead on the brain and nervous system, according to the EPA.
The most high-profile case of lead poisoning remains the Flint water crisis, in which thousands of children in the Michigan town were exposed to high levels of lead in water.
But even in Texas, roughly 70% of all schools tested shown some levels of lead, an environmental group found in 2019. No amount of lead has been proven safe.
All Texas public schools and state-regulated childcare facilities will be eligible to test. Priority will be given to:
— Schools and childcare programs in low income or underserved areas, such as schools where at least 50% of children receive free and reduced lunches or those who have Head Start programs.
— Schools and childcare facilities mainly caring for children 6 years old and younger.
— Older facilities that are more likely to have pipes and fixtures containing lead.
Following testing, participants will receive resources for remediation, which could include installing filters, conducting routine maintenance or replacing or upgrading outlets or plumbing.
The program is a partnership between the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Schools or childcare centers can register online for lead testing. Parents and community members can also nominate a facility for testing.