Many schools and childcare facilities remain untested for leads.

To provide of a sense of what it could cost to address the issue of lead in school and childcare facility drinking water, we estimate financial needs for state-wide lead reduction programs across the United States.

Modeled costs are similar across facility types for field collection, lab analysis, and agency oversight. However, childcare facilities, especially those in small or residential buildings, may face higher remediation costs as these buildings are more likely to have lead service lines.

At a minimum, we believe all cooking and drinking water fixtures in schools and childcare facilities should be tested to provide baseline water quality information. We also suggest that state environmental and public health agencies, if given adequate resources, are best positioned to offer technical assistance to schools and childcare facilities.