URI and RIDOH partner for lead testing in child care facilities - What's Up Newp

Join the 17,000+ who count on it to keep them informed and connected!

The Rhode Island Department of Health is encouraging all licensed child care facilities to get their drinking water tested for lead, as part of an effort to address childhood lead poisoning.

The testing is free and is offered through a partnership with the University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension Water Quality Program.

“Lead is poisonous and can impact a child’s ability to learn and succeed in school,” said Director of Health Dr. Jerome Larkin. “No Rhode Islander should have to worry if the water their child is drinking at school or child care facility is safe.”

Political Advertisement

Child care facilities are required to test their drinking water when they first get licensed and when there are significant changes to the plumbing, but the testing has historically been at the owner’s expense.

Participating child care facilities can choose up to 10 drinking water faucets and fountains to be tested, including bottle filling stations. The URI Cooperative Extension Water Quality Program will collect the samples, which will then be tested at RIDOH’s State Health Laboratories.

RIDOH said it has some limited federal funding that may help schools and child care facilities pay to replace faucets and fountains if lead is found.

What'sUpNewp is made possible by readers like you and by these local advertisers.

Rhode Island Department of Human Services Director Kimberly Merolla-Brito asserts that “The only way to know if there is lead in drinking water is to test for it.” “With this information, child care facilities are able to take the needed steps to lower lead levels and safeguard the health of children and staff.”

So far, RIDOH and URI have tested the drinking water at 148 public schools, representing more than 60,000 students. They’ve tested 1,022 drinking water faucets and fountains.

Nearly 80% of the faucets and fountains tested did not detect any lead, and less than 4% had lead levels higher than 10 parts per billion, which is considered high.

However, about 70% of schools had lead detected in at least one drinking water faucet or fountain, and 21% of schools had high levels of lead in at least one faucet or fountain.

All the testing results are shared with the schools and child care facilities and are posted on RIDOH’s website.

Any child care facility interested in participating can email Lisa Philo at [email protected].

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.