Official State of Rhode Island website

State of Rhode Island Department of Health

Testing School and Child Care Facility Drinking Water for Lead

Kids drinking water
Have School or Child Care Drinking Water Tested for Lead

Purpose

In 2023, the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE), the University of Rhode Island (URI) Cooperative Extension Water Quality Program, and the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) collaborated to develop a voluntary, statewide program to test the drinking water for lead in K-12 public schools and licensed child care centers and family child care facilities. The results of that testing will be uploaded here when available. If you don’t see your facility here, check back periodically.

RIDOH cannot take any regulatory or legal action based on the results of this voluntary testing. RIDOH will provide results to the Department of Human Services, who may choose to work with your facility to help reduce lead if necessary.

The Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WIIN Act) addresses, supports, and improves America's drinking water infrastructure. Federal grant funds from the WIIN Act have been used to develop a program to test drinking water for lead at Rhode Island schools and child care facilities. 

Any existing licensed child care facilities can sign up, including group family and family (home-based) child care facilities. Public schools that have not already participated can sign up as well. (English informational flyer, Spanish informational flyer)

Participants in this water testing program will:

  • Have drinking water tested for lead for free;
  • Get expert advice on how to lower lead levels, if needed; and
  • Protect the health of children for years to come.

If you are interested in having your drinking water tested for lead, please complete this form.

If you have any questions, contact the Rhode Island Department of Health at 401-222-5960. Multilingual answering services are available.

*Financial support is available to replace some faucets and fountains. See Program to Replace Faucets and Fountains below for more information.

**RIDOH cannot take any regulatory or legal action based on the results of this voluntary testing. RIDOH will provide results to the Department of Human Services, who may choose to work with your facility to help reduce lead if necessary.

Key Information

Most lead in water comes from metal wearing away in old pipes, lead-based solder, or brass fittings on faucets or water fountains.  

People can be exposed to lead by drinking contaminated water. Lead exposure can cause lifelong health problems. The effects are most serious for babies, young children, and people who are pregnant.  

The only way to know if there is lead in drinking water is to test for it. If lead was found in any water sample, take appropriate actions based on the results.

Drinking water from schools and child care facilities throughout Rhode Island is being tested for lead. Each facility tested multiple water faucets and fountains.  

From 2016 to 2018, drinking water from multiple water faucets and fountains in schools and child care facilities throughout Rhode Island were tested for lead. View these results online.  

Program to Replace Faucets and Fountains  

RIDOH has some federal funding to help schools and child care facilities cover the costs of replacing eligible faucets and fountains. RIDOH will determine eligibility based on the following criteria:

  • Faucets and fountains are eligible for replacement if the sample results are greater than 4 parts per billion (ppb). 
  • Funding is available for replacement faucets and fountains, not for filters or other remediation actions. 
  • RIDOH will give facilities a list of options that meet the national standards for low lead or lead-free plumbing. 
  • Replacement faucets and fountains must be installed in the same facility and meet relevant plumbing standards. The original fixture must be permanently shut off or removed.   

To learn more, view the full policy outlining use of remediation funds. Facilities with faucets and fountains that meet the criteria will receive information from RIDOH about participating in the remediation programs. 

How data are collected

The University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension (URI) and participating facilities identified water fountains and taps that are used for drinking or cooking to be sampled. Samples of drinking water were collected and transported to the State Health Laboratory by URI. The State Health Laboratory analyzed the water samples for lead. There was no cost to the school district or child care facility for these services.

Key Findings

  • Information will be added as it become available.
Use the drop-downs below to find results by:

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What you should know

Lead in drinking water can cause lead exposure and lifelong health problems. Drinking water is rarely the primary cause of lead exposure in Rhode Island. Children are most often exposed to lead through lead-based paint and paint dust found in a home, especially if it was built before 1978. In 2023, the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE), the University of Rhode Island (URI) Cooperative Extension Water Quality Program and the Rhode Island Department of Health collaborated to develop a voluntary, statewide program to test the drinking water in K-12 schools for lead.

What do the test results mean?

Lead is measured in water in parts per billion (ppb). Depending on the results, there are actions that schools can take to lower lead levels in the water or keep them low.

  • Any sample result that is higher than 10 ppb is above the new action level set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Schools are strongly recommended to take action to lower the lead level.
  • Any sample result between 1 and 10 ppb is below the EPA’s new action level. There are still suggested actions schools can take to lower lead in the drinking water.
  • Any sample result that is less than 1 ppb is below the detection level for lead. The detection level is the lowest level of lead that can be reliably measured in water.
  • Contact your school for information on what action level they are using and what actions they are taking in response to these results.

As part of the study, multiple samples were taken at each location. These samples are labeled first draw and second draw in the “Type” column.

How samples were collected and tested

The data shown here are from a statewide assessment using a consistent method to test. Contact your school for additional information, such as other testing efforts or samples taken as part of remediation efforts.
 

 

Use the drop-downs below to find results by:

or

What you should know

Lead in drinking water can cause lead exposure, which can cause lifelong health problems. Drinking water is rarely the primary cause of lead exposure in Rhode Island. Children are most often exposed to lead through lead-based paint and paint dust found in a home, especially if it was built before 1978. The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE), the University of Rhode Island (URI) Cooperative Extension Water Quality Program and the Rhode Island Department of Health have collaborated to develop a voluntary, statewide program to test the drinking water in K-12 schools and childcare facilities for lead.

What do the test results mean?

Lead is measured in water in parts per billion (ppb). Depending on the results, there are actions that child care facilities can take to lower lead levels in the water or keep them low.

  • Any sample result that is higher than 10 ppb is above the new action level set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Child care facilities are strongly recommended to take action to lower the lead level.
  • Any sample result between 1 and 10 ppb is below the EPA’s new action level. There are still suggested actions child care facilities can take to lower lead in the drinking water.
  • Any sample result that is less than 1 ppb is below the detection level for lead. The detection level is the lowest level of lead that can be reliably measured in water.
  • Contact your child care facility for information on what action level they are using and what actions they are taking in response to these results.

As part of the study, multiple samples were taken at each location. These samples are labeled first draw and second draw in the “Type” column.

How samples were collected and tested

The data shown here are from a statewide assessment using a consistent method to test. Contact your child care facility for additional information.
 

 

Related Data

This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement M1 00A00964 to the Rhode Island D.O.H. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does the Environmental Protection Agency endorse trade names or recommend the use of commercial products mentioned in this document, as well as any images, video, text, or other content created by generative artificial intelligence tools, nor does any such content necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency. Source