This is a new award to provide assistance to rhode island department of health (ridoh) to implement voluntary testing and remediation of lead in drinking water at local schools and child care…

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 1 awarded $336,000 to the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) under the Voluntary School and Child Care Lead Testing and Reduction Grant Program (CFDA 66.444) effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2028. RIDOH will implement a voluntary testing and remediation program to reduce children's exposure to lead in drinking water at local schools and child care facilities throughout Rhode Island. The recipient will partner with local health departments, environmental engineering staff, and outside vendors to execute EPA's 3Ts approach (Communicate, Train, Test, Take Action), including conducting initial site assessments, collecting water samples using appropriate testing protocols at certified laboratories, and providing staff and community education regarding lead health risks.

RIDOH will develop and execute remediation plans for facilities with elevated lead levels, including installation of point-of-use filters, replacement of affected fixtures and piping, and installation of water bottle filling stations. Key program activities encompass public communication of testing results and lead information to parents, teachers, and community members; training schools and child care facilities on lead risks and testing procedures; and ensuring transparency throughout implementation. The program prioritizes facilities in low-income areas and those serving children under age six, aligning with the Administration's environmental protection priorities and providing reasonable stewardship of federal resources.

This is a new award to provide assistance to rhode island department of health (ridoh) to implement voluntary testing and remediation of lead in drinking water at local schools and child care facilities. Congress authorized the grant program under the safe drinking water act (sdwa) 1464(d), as amended by section 2107 of the water infrastructure improvements for the nation (wiin) act, to reduce children's exposure to lead. The work aligns with the executive order and pilar 1: clean air, land, and water for every american of powering the great american comeback, and the work is a reasonable use of taxpayer dollars. Specifically, the recipient will be partnering with available participating local health departments/districts, a potential environmental engineer 2 or 3, and outside vendor to focus efforts on 1) communicate results and important lead information to the public, parents, teachers and larger communities throughout the implementation of the program; 2) train schools and child care facilities on the risks of lead in drinking water and testing for lead; 3) test for lead using appropriate testing protocols and certified laboratories; and 4) take action by developing a plan for responding to results of testing conducted and addressing potential elevated lead levels including installation of point-of-use (POU) filters, replacement of effected fixtures, and piping, and installation of water bottle filling stations.activities:the ridoh will use EPA's 3TS approach to help schools and child care facilities implement a voluntary program for reducing lead in drinking water. Ridoh will 1) work with schools and childcare facilities, key partners to ensure transparency of lead testing results, remediation strategy and educational outreach throughout the implementation of the program; 2) conduct initial site assessments, collect initial and follow-up flush samples at identified facilities; 3) train , schools and childcare facilities on the risks of lead in drinking water and the importance of testing for lead and remediation planning process; 4) with the assistance of a contractor, test high risk schools and childcare facilities using 3TS protocol ; and 5) develop a lead remediation plan for addressing potential elevated lead where necessary. The plan includes the sampling post-remediation to ensure efforts to reduce lead levels were effective.subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:the anticipated deliverables for this grant award include: 1) outreach materials; 2) training sessions; 3) sample site plans; 4) analytical results for samples collected from participating schools and childcare facilities; 5) quarterly and annual reports. The expected outputs for this project include: 1) use the EPA's 3TS for reducing lead in drinking water guidance to implement the state program; 2) develop a state lead in drinking water remediation strategy that supports a robust training, monitoring, and maintenance plan that protects children from lead exposure now and in the future; 3) to the extent possible, prioritize remediation to target vulnerable communities and populations: schools and child care programs in underserved and/or low-income communities; elementary and child care programs that primarily care for children 6 years and under; and older facilities that are more likely to contain lead plumbing; 4) provide results of remediation done in school and child care facilities carried out using grant funds to parents, teachers, and organizations; 5) encourage the development of regular lead testing programs; and 6) establish routine practices such as those outlined in the 3TS guidance. Expected outcomes include: 1) schools or child care programs, unable to pay for testing, implementing a testing program and mitigating lead exposure by utilizing the 3TS toolkit in determining best action to take for remediation; 2) the reduction of children's exposure to lead in drinki