A change in the way the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s regulates lead in drinking water may result in more lead warnings in communities across the United States.

Replacing lead service lines is a worthy endeavor. Lead is a known health concern, particularly for young children. The sooner we can remove all sources of lead from our communities, the better off we will be.

Clean drinking water took center stage in Washington, DC, recently when revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule became final as part of a larger Biden-Harris Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan. The White House describes the plan as “a historic effort of unprecedented ambition that will deploy catalytic resources from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law while leveraging every tool across federal, state, and local government to deliver clean drinking water, replace lead pipes, and remediate lead paint.”

As families across the country dive into a new school year, we thought now would be a good time to provide some context when it comes to drinking water in schools and child care facilities.