The agreement provides assistance to wyoming department of environmental quality - water quality division (wdeq-WQD) to implement a program of voluntary testing for lead in drinking water at local…

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 8 awarded $517,000 to the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality under the Voluntary School and Child Care Lead Testing and Reduction Grant Program (CFDA 66.444) beginning October 1, 2025, with completion targeted for September 30, 2030. The grant funds a comprehensive lead testing and remediation initiative targeting schools and child care facilities across Wyoming, with prioritization given to older facilities (constructed before 1988) and those located in areas with identified elevated lead concentrations. The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality will work with a contractor to implement the EPA's Training, Testing, and Taking Action (3Ts) framework, which encompasses three primary service components: training stakeholders on lead contamination risks and testing protocols while establishing key partnerships; conducting lead testing using appropriate protocols and certified laboratories; and developing and implementing remediation and re-testing action plans for facilities with positive results.

The grant activities include establishing partnerships with the Wyoming Department of Education, school districts, and charter schools statewide to develop and execute the lead testing program. For facilities testing positive for lead, the contractor will partner with affected school districts to develop remediation strategies and re-testing programs acceptable to both the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality and the EPA. Additionally, the grant supports development of a web-based platform to communicate testing results and lead safety information to parents, teachers, and the broader community, ensuring transparent public disclosure of findings and mitigation efforts throughout the program's implementation period.

The agreement provides assistance to wyoming department of environmental quality - water quality division (wdeq-WQD) to implement a program of voluntary testing for lead in drinking water at local schools and child care centers. Specifically, the recipient will continue the initiative in testing our schools and childcare facilities. Wyoming wdeq-WQD will work with the selected contractor to develop a prioritization of facilities serving children where facilities are older, more likely to contain lead plumbing, or areas identified to have high lead concentrations identified through the october 16, 2024, lead service line inventory submittal requirements for public water systems. Wdeq-WQD will be using EPA's 3TS guidance as a model to communicate the results and important lead information to the public, parents, teachers, and larger community throughout the implementation of the program: (1) train on the risks of lead in drinking water and testing for lead, as well as developing key partnerships to support the program; (2) test using appropriate testing protocols and a certified laboratory; and (3) take action, including the development of a plan for responding to results of testing conducted and addressing potential elevated lead where necessary. Activities:the wdeq-WQD envisions the contractor to partner with the state of wyoming department of education, school districts throughout the state of wyoming and charter schools throughout the state of wyoming in order to develop and implement a lead testing program for the school districts; especially those districts and schools that are located in facilities constructed before 1988. For those facilities that test positive for lead in the drinking water, the wdeq-WQD envisions the contractor to partner with the affected district to develop and implement a remediation and RE-testing program that is acceptable to the wydeq and the usepa. The wdeq-WQD envisions the contractor developing a web-based platform that will allow interaction and communication with interested parties and provide frequently asked questions, guidance, and assistance. Subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:the anticipated deliverables include a data management system, facility mapping, water quality testing results, project ranking methodology, outreach and education, and technical assistance. The expected outcomes include (1) schools or childcare programs, unable to pay for testing, evaluate the development of a testing program to mitigate 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 drinking water; (3) improvement of staff and community knowledge on lead in drinking water and other environmental harms; and (4) water quality improvement and lead exposure reduction in drinking water; and (5) establishment of routine practices such as those outlined in the 3TS guidance. Other outcomes might include (1) fostering sustainable partnerships at the state and local level to allow for a more efficient use of resources and the exchange of information among experts in various areas of school, childcare, utility, and health sectors and (2) the enhancement of community, parent, and teacher trust. The intended beneficiaries include students and workers at wyoming schools and childcares.