In the wake of the contaminated drinking water crisis in Flint, Michigan, other schools across the United States are discovering evidence of high levels of lead and other heavy metals in their drinking water. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not currently require schools that draw from public water supplies to test for lead at the point of use1, but concern in Congress is building. Legislation has been proposed to both require testing and to set up EPA grant programs to help schools and daycare centers test for lead. Even if a school's public water supply is tested regularly and known to be safe, aging pipelines may result in elevated levels of lead at the outlet of the potable water supply. While schools and daycare centers are at the center of this crisis, all public facilities (including hospitals, senior centers, community centers, public athletic facilities, and recreation centers, etc.) may want to consider implementation of point source heavy metals testing for their potable water to ensure public safety.
Some funding programs are already in place, like the California Drinking Water State Revolving Fund program (DWSRF), for which non-profit or publicly-owned, non-community water systems (e.g., public school districts) are eligible. Eligible projects include the following:
- Treatment systems
- Distribution systems
- Interconnections
- Consolidations
- Pipeline extensions
- Water sources
- Water meters
- Water storage tanks and reservoirs
Low interest rate loans with 20- to 30-year repayment terms are available, as well as principal forgiveness for publicly-owned water systems or non-profit mutual water companies serving disadvantaged communities.
How can GHD help?
GHD has a wealth of experience in the development and implementation of effective water sampling programs. We have worked at thousands of different sites, with sampling programs ranging from a few samples collected once, to programs involving over 100 different monitoring points over a period of several years. Our field technicians participate in a corporate training program, including classroom/seminar training and field oversight/mentorship prior to being approved for independent work.
All sampling work is completed in accordance with Field Standard Operating Procedures, with strict assurance to both health and safety, and quality assurance. We are very familiar with working under EPA and local guidelines. Our chemists and analytical technicians are highly qualified to develop appropriate sampling and analytical protocols, and to coordinate subcontracted laboratory services to meet any particular project requirement while maintaining strict adherence to quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) procedures.
The goal of any monitoring program is the collection of data that is suitable for use for its intended purpose. GHD also has considerable in-house expertise in such disciplines as human health risk assessment, toxicology, water transmission and treatment system design, stakeholder communications and education, and other potential value-added capabilities to effectively support our clients in understanding the results and assist in identifying and implementing solutions to any potential issues. We understand how to create and add value to a project while working together with our stakeholders for the ultimate benefit of our client. We work well in this climate and believe in the sharing of best practices.
GHD professionals can assist you every step of the way. Our services include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Overall strategy planning and coordination
- Development and implementation of sampling plans
- Plumbing assessment and inventory
- Identification and prioritization of drinking water sample locations
- Sampling coordinator and trainer
- Sample collection
- Interpretation of sampling results
- Recommendations for temporary and permanent remediation
- Comprehensive data management programs, including data validation and quality assurance, and analysis and statistics
- Resource estimation and public reporting
- Grant application preparation
- Infrastructure management and planning, including life cycle assessments
- Water quality risk assessments
- Treatment planning and options assessment
For background information, visit the following links:
- https://epa.gov/dwreginfo/testing-schools-and-child-care-centers-lead-drinking-water
- http://waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/expertise/funding/SRF.shtml#
For more information, pleae contact Jacquelyn England by email jacquelyn.england@ghd.com or phone +1 707 540 9686.
1EPA does have a lead and copper rule that requires municipal water supply facilities to test a very limited number of single family homes within their water supply systems for lead and copper at the point of use every three years.