Until recently, there has been no mandatory water testing for schools and child care facilities in Texas. In the past, when schools or child care facilities wanted the water in their area to be tested, they would have to request help from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. With over 25,000 locations in need of testing, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has requested an $8 million dollar budget in order to get started on this 3 year project.
Regular water inspections will be performed in order to identify the levels of lead and copper in the water at locations where children are exposed to it. The state has developed a rule, called the Lead and Copper Rule, which states that all community water systems must be tested at at least 20% of elementary schools and child care facilities per year. This means that out of the 25,000 facilities which are affected, a minimum of 5,000 facilities must be actually tested.
The TCEQ will be solely responsible for the planning and implementation of this rule. A spokesperson from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality reported that they have not received any direction from the EPA yet, and that they are still forming a plan for the execution of the Lead and Copper Rule. Texas will be obligated to implement this new rule by January 2024.
