Overview
There is no safe level of lead in drinking and cooking water. Even low levels of lead exposure can cause reduced IQ, attention difficulties, and behavior problems in children. Lead usually gets into water when plumbing materials that contain lead interact with corrosive water.
Clean Water for Georgia Kids provides participating facilities with results from testing water for lead and recommendations for action based on the results from each sample.
Simple and affordable solutions to reduce lead in water
If lead is found in any taps used for drinking or cooking, we always recommend taking no-cost and low-cost solutions to reduce exposure.
If lead is found in any taps at or above the state action level, you should restrict access to the tap by posting signage and communicating with staff and students to not use the tap for drinking and cooking until it is properly mitigated.
Designate taps
for drinking and cooking and periodically test for lead. We recommend selecting taps where first-draw samples have tested below 1 ppb.
Use cold water
for drinking and cooking. Hot water can leach more lead from the plumbing into water.
Regularly flush water
after it hasn't been used (e.g. overnight). See our flushing instructions here.
Change the faucet fixture
to a certified lead-free fixture. See our guidance here.
Install a water filter
that is certified to remove lead. Learn how to choose and maintain a filter here.
See additional guides on our Resources & Training page.
Who is eligible for free plumbing products?
A pilot program has been launched to deliver grant-funded mitigation support to eligible facilities, with funds available for certified lead-free faucet fixtures and filters certified to remove lead. Facilities that receive results at or above the action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb) will be notified by email whether they are eligible for free plumbing products through the program. For questions about mitigation support and eligibility, please contact us here.
Which taps are eligible for free plumbing products?
For critical drinking and cooking taps that have results at or above 15 ppb for lead in water at eligible facilities, the Clean Water for Georgia Kids™ program provides:
- Appropriate fixture or fountain, certified lead-free
- Bubbler covers for capping sink bubblers
- Appropriate under-sink filter, certified to remove lead.
What is the process for eligible facilities?
Eligible facilities will follow these steps:
What brands of products will be provided?
New water fountains, bottle fillers, and faucet fixtures installed under the program will be supplied by Murdock Manufacturing and T&S Brass.
All plumbing products provided through the Clean Water for Georgia Kids™ program comply with NSF/ANSI Standard 61, which is the best available certification for making sure drinking water system components are safe.¹ To further protect against other any other potential sources of lead in the building, a filter certified to remove lead² may also be used at drinking and cooking taps, including all water fountains.
Plumbing Partner: RepSouth
Is there reimbursement for labor?
No. If the reimbursement option is chosen, only the cost of certified lead-free fixtures and lead-certified filters will be reimbursed, up to the per-facility maximum amount set by the program.
What happens after mitigation is complete?
We recommend that all facilities conduct post-mitigation testing to confirm low lead levels and also post any mitigation actions to the portal to appear alongside testing results.
A follow-up testing kit will be sent to you automatically for taps that test at or above 15 ppb, and will include two bottles per tap. This allows for 2-step sampling, which can give you more information about the possible sources of lead. If you have already selected a mitigation action you may choose to save this kit to test after mitigation (post-mitigation sampling) to confirm lower lead levels.
Additional testing that is not covered by the grant can be purchased from your portal dashboard. The cost of a new kit starts at $50, with a smaller fee for each additional tap added to the new kit. Instructions on how to sign up for a retest, add new taps, or reorder your test kit can be found here: Re-order a test kit or add taps to your completed enrollment.
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¹ All plumbing products installed under the Clean Water for Georgia Kids™ program comply with NSF/ANSI Standard 61 Annex G, which requires that faucets leach less than 1 ppb of lead during testing. According to federal limits, even brand-new faucets certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 61 can have up to 0.25% lead that may leach out of the faucet during the first several weeks of use. For this reason, it is important to thoroughly flush new faucets after they are installed.
² All filters installed under the Clean Water for Georgia Kids™ program are certified to NSF/ANSI Standards 42 and 53 for removal of both particulate and dissolved lead. These certifications ensure removal of up to 150 ppb of lead for the manufacturer-stated lifetime of the device.