Model Policies to Reduce the Population’s Exposure to Lead in Drinking Water In 2018, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Legislative Caucus (GLLC) committed “to collaborate regionally on policy measures in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence states and provinces to reduce lead in drinking water in order to reduce the population’s exposure to and contamination from lead.” The Caucus made this commitment as part of its mission to assure a plentiful supply of safe, affordable water to the region’s residents, businesses, and industries. Over a two-year period, a task force of GLLC members developed these model policies and, in June 2020, the GLLC Executive Committee approved them. The Caucus now recommends these policies for adoption, in whole or in part, by the states and provinces in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River region. Progress will be tracked on Blue Accounting website of the Great Lakes Commission. Establish an action level for lead that is more protective of human health • Adopt an action level for lead in drinking water that is 12 µg/L or less. • Adopt an action level for schools and child-care centers that is 5 µg/L or less. Reduce exposure to lead in drinking water in schools, child-care centers, and other facilities • Require that drinking water be tested for lead in all pre-kindergarten through grade 12 schools, public or private, licensed child-care centers, veterans’ homes, senior centers, licensed nursing homes or assisted-care facilities, and hospitals. • If any of the samples taken in such facilities reveal lead in excess of the applicable action level: o Require immediate short-term control measures to provide building occupants with an adequate supply of safe, potable water. o Require long-term permanent protective measures to eliminate the risk posed to building occupants from consuming water from such outlets. o After remediation, require retesting of any modified outlets prior to such outlets being approved for use by building occupants. • Require retesting after any change to the source water for the building, any change to the water treatment process applied to the source water for the building, after the replacement of any lead service lines that serve the building, and after any sale or lease of the building.
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