Our Commitment to Supporting Schools and Child Care Facilities in Their Effort to Maintain a High-Quality Water Supply
In 2021, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a formal revision to the federal Lead and Copper Rule—the Lead and Copper Rule Revision (LCRR)—to protect children and communities from lead exposure in drinking water. The LCRR introduced a new requirement for water systems, like Cal Water, to complete public education and lead sampling at all schools and childcare facilities within their service area. In 2024, the EPA finalized the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) which built upon the LCRR by providing additional guidance and clarification. Per the LCRR/LCRI, water systems would be required to provide schools and child-care facilities with the opportunity to be sampled for lead and educational material regarding the importance of lead testing and remediation. Formal sampling must begin by 2028 and will be completed in a 5 year-period until all serviceable facilities are sampled.
At Cal Water, we are committed to supporting the efforts of our communities to protect children and supply drinking water that meets lead standards. Cal Water personnel are currently establishing the foundation of the program and plan to take a proactive approach to meet the new requirements.
Previous testing in California K-12 schools was completed from 2017 to 2019 in accordance with the State Water Resources Control Board’s Division of Drinking Water (DDW) lead testing in schools’ program, supported by California Assembly Bill 746. Cal Water personnel worked with public health experts and regulators to develop a water sampling plan, tested samples, and conducted follow-up monitoring for any school that required corrective action on its plumbing fixtures. The facility sampling required by the 2024 LCRR/LCRI will build upon and confirm the sampling completed from 2017-2019.
For More Information
- For more information on Cal Water’s lead testing in schools program, please contact your local Customer Center.
- For the DDW’s guidelines and FAQ, visit the State Water Resources Control Board web site.
Program guidelines and timeline
Under the LCRR/LCRI all community water systems, like Cal Water, must conduct public education and lead sampling in all schools and licensed child-care facilities they serve.
- By November 1, 2027, water systems must submit to the State a list of schools and child-care facilities they serve. Water systems will be required to maintain and resubmit their list on a regular basis following the initial submission.
- During the first 5 years after November 1, 2027 (2028-2032) water systems must inform elementary schools and child-care facilities that they are eligible to be sampled for lead and sample a minimum of 20% of total facilities per year. A proposed sampling schedule and educational information will be provided by the water system to the facility. Secondary schools must be notified annually that they are eligible to be sampled by the water system on request.
- Starting the sixth year after November 1, 2027 (2033), water systems must inform all facilities they are eligible to be sampled on request and must provide information on how to request sampling and related information.
After completion of any sampling event, the water system must provide all sample results as soon as practicable but no later than 30 days after receipt of the results to the sampled school or child-care facility, the local and State health department, and the State. Sampled schools or child-care facilities must also be provided educational material regarding lead’s health effects, steps that can be taken to reduce exposure, and potential remediation options such as the EPA’s 3T’s for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water in Schools and Child Care Facilities—A Training, Testing, and Taking Action Approach (3Ts); a guidance developed to assist schools, child-care facilities, and States with addressing lead exposure.
Cal Water is currently working to obtain its comprehensive school and day care facilities list and is preparing to meet the LCRI deadline prior to the November 1, 2027, compliance date. Specifics reading the sampling plan and official program roll out are currently being finalized. Although sampling is not required to begin until after November 1, 2027, we welcome facilities to contact their local Customer Service Center to obtain additional information regarding the program and avenues facilities could explore should they choose to conduct proactive sampling.
A statement regarding the opportunity for schools and child-care facilities to be sampled will be included with our annual Consumer Confidence Report, also known as a water quality report.
Elements of the sampling plan
We will work with designated on-site representatives to conduct a survey within the facility to identify locations for sample collection. Schools must identify 5 locations for sample collection and child-care facilities must identify two locations. The sampling plan will be unique for each facility.
Locations selected should be regularly used. For example:
- Drinking fountains
- Cafeteria/food preparation areas
- Classroom faucets
- Nurse office faucets
- Reusable water bottle filling stations
Samples will consist of 250 mL first-draw samples from a cold water tap after an 8-to-18-hour stagnation period as required per the LCRR/LCRI.
For more information
- For more information on Cal Water’s lead testing in schools and child-care facilities program, please contact your local Customer Center.
- For more information on the USEPA’s Lead and Copper Improvements regulation, visit the USEPA’s regulatory web site.
- For more information on the USEPA’s 3T’s guidelines, visit the USEPA’s 3T’s for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water web site.
- For more information on the 2017-2019 school sampling complete in California, visit the State Water Resources Control Board web site.
Who is responsible for what?
Water systems—like Cal Water—are responsible for the cost of developing sampling plans, collecting samples, performing tests, and communicating results to the State and school/child-care facilities per the LCRI sampling requirements and timeline. Water systems will also be required to provide educational material regarding health risks from lead in drinking water and steps consumers can take to reduce their exposure on an annual basis.
Schools and child-care facilities are responsible for corrective actions needed based on their sampling results, as well as for sharing sampling results with their school board, parents, students, and other stakeholders.
Water systems and schools/child-care facilities will work closely together to ensure a comprehensive sampling plan is created and executed to ensure any potential lead exposure is accurately assessed.
Our water system
We work daily to confirm that the water we provide to customers meets or surpasses all federal and state water quality standards. That includes following the EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule, Lead and Copper Rule Revision, and Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, to the letter.
In addition to complying with those sampling regulations, we protect the safety of our water systems by rigorously monitoring water quality, maintaining and upgrading our water systems so that water circulates properly, testing the corrosiveness of the water and adding corrective measures when needed to prevent lead from plumbing fixtures from affecting water quality, and carefully planning and conducting thorough water quality testing before using any new source of water.
Water Quality Reports
Annual Consumer Confidence Reports detailing water quality, supply sources, and compliance with health standards for each district, to provide transparency and customer confidence in their water service.
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Water Treatment
Cal Water doesn’t take a “one-size-fits-all” approach to water treatment; instead, we work diligently to identify the best, most cost-effective treatment required for each water source.
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Water Quality Testing Labs
If you have a concern about your home water, you can contact an accredited lab for information on home water testing.
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