Missouri Legislation takes action to reduce lead exposure in children

In 2022, the Missouri Legislation passed the Get the Lead out of School Drinking Water Act (Section 160.077, RSMo) to protect children from lead exposure. This Act establishes a new standard for lead concentrations in school drinking water in Missouri, which is even lower than the national lead action level set by the Environmental Protection Agency for public water systems.

Requirements of the Act

Under this Act, schools are required to take several measures to ensure the safety of their drinking water. These include:

1. Inventory: Schools must identify all potable drinking water outlets that are used or could potentially be used for drinking, food preparation, cooking, or cleaning utensils in a school building.

2. Sampling: Schools are responsible for conducting regular testing of the drinking water outlets to check for lead contamination.

3. Remediation: If any lead contamination is found, schools must develop and implement a plan to address the issue and reduce lead levels.

4. Monitoring: Ongoing monitoring of the drinking water outlets is necessary to ensure continuous compliance with the established lead concentration standard.

Richland R-I Public School's Initiative

The Richland R-I Public School is taking proactive steps to ensure the safety of its students. The school has initiated the testing process for all its schools, and the results will be posted as they are received. Please see the attached plan detailing how they will address and resolve the issue.

By implementing these measures, Missouri is striving to create a healthier environment for its children and protect them from the harmful effects of lead exposure in school drinking water.