Voluntary School and Child Care Lead Testing and Reduction Grant Program (SDWA 1464(d))

Grant funding is awarded to states, territories, and Tribal Consortia to assist local educational agencies in voluntary testing and remediation of lead in drinking water at schools and child care facilities. The principal objective of the assistance to be awarded under this program is to test and remediate lead in drinking water at schools and child care facilities, using EPA’s 3Ts for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water guidance or the at least equivalent applicable state regulations or guidance regarding reducing lead in drinking water in schools and child care facilities (see: https://www.epa.gov/dwcapacity/wiin-grant-voluntary-school-and-child-care-lead-testing-and-reduction-grant-program). EPA's 3Ts (Training, Testing, and Taking Action) provide guidance, educational materials, and tools for schools, child care facilities, states, Tribes, and water systems to implement voluntary lead testing and remediation programs in drinking water. Funding supports: (1) reducing children’s exposure to lead in drinking water; (2) helping states, territories, and Tribes target funding toward schools unable to pay for testing; (3) using the 3Ts model, or at least equivalent model, to establish best practices for lead in drinking water prevention programs; (4) fostering sustainable partnerships at the state and local level to allow for more efficient use of existing resources and exchange of information among experts in various educational and health sectors; and (5) enhancing community, parent, and teacher cooperation and trust. The priority is to award funds to test and remediate lead in drinking water in schools and child care facilities through planning, public education, testing and outreach, along with taking actions to remediate lead from the facilities' infrastructure. This voluntary effort focuses on lead reduction and decreasing the number of lead sources in drinking water at schools and child care facilities that are in low-income areas. The grant program requires EPA’s 3Ts for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water in Schools guidance to develop and implement programs in schools and child care facilities, and to identify and remediate lead sources in drinking water.