Lead Testing for Drinking Water... What's Next?

To protect Illinois children from possible exposure to lead in drinking water, Governor Bruce Rauner and the General Assembly passed Public Act 99-0922 requiring schools and daycares to sample for lead contamination in water.

The Act requires the oldest school buildings, those built before January 1, 1987, to complete water testing by the end of 2017. Schools built between January 2, 1987 and January 1, 2000 must complete testing by the end of 2018. The Act requires parents and guardians of students be notified of lead results greater than or equal to five parts per billion (ppb).

Many school have completed the sampling and have asked about the next step.

As published by the Illinois Department of Public Health, there is new guidance for schools as to the mitigation of lead in the drinking water.

While Section 35.5 (part of the Illinois Plumbing Licensing Law (225 ICLS 320/35.5), does not specifically require mitigation, the IDPH is requiring the mitigation strategies and requirements contained in this guidance document to be followed for all plumbing fixtures identified with any level of lead. Mitigation should continue until subsequent testing indicates no lead is present in water.

Hygieneering is ready to assist schools in developing plans, continued testing and assist in engineering solutions to reduce the lead in drinking water. These efforts will assist in lowering the lead level in drinking water making it better for school children.

This link will take you to the IDPH document titled "Mitigation Strategies for Lead found in School Drinking Water".

For more information or assistance with water testing, please click here to email Bob Anderson, Director, Environmental Services or call 630-654-2550.