Information Sheet: Testing for Lead in Drinking Water
BACKGROUND
The US Army Garrison, Hawaii (USAG-HI) is in compliance with existing Safe Drinking
Water Act regulations for testing for lead in drinking water. USAG-HI is participating in an Armywide
effort to ensure that our child development centers, youth centers, and schools are tested
specifically. Because these are facilities where sensitive populations – children age six years
old and under – could consume a significant amount of water, the Army wants to make sure the
drinking water at these facilities are protective of children’s health.
Exposure to lead, even at low levels, may cause developmental issues in children six
and under.
Lead is found throughout the environment in lead-based paint, air, soil, household
dust, food, certain types of pottery porcelain and pewter, and water. T
he primary source of lead
exposure for most children is lead-based paint in older homes, but since exposure can also
occur through drinking water, the U.S
. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests that
schools and day care facilities test their drinking water for lead. If lead is found at any water
outlet at levels above 20 parts per billion (ppb), the EPA recommends taking action to reduce
the lead.
USAG-HI regularly conducts water sampling in accordance with Federal, State, and
Local standards. However, those standards do not require child development or youth centers
to be tested specifically. A recent Army-wide review of historical sampling data revealed that
many installations have incomplete information about water sampling that has been conducted
at child development and youth centers from 2001 to present.
In an abundance of caution, the Army is proactively performing drinking water sampling
at
all high-risk facilities that have incomplete information or no information available about prior
sampling. If lead in drinking water is found to be above the EPA recommended level at any of
the facilities/buildings tested, corrective actions will be determined and notifications will be given
to the parents of children using those facilities, as well as staff.
The Army Environmental Command and the U.S. Army Public Health Command
(USAPHC) assisted in the development of protocols that ensure the samples collected best
reflect conditions of the water consumed in these facilities and that sampling methods and
analysis were consistent.
This sampling effort will give the Army more detailed information about the current safety
of the drinking water at these facilities, improve the condition of any issues that are discovered,
and guide policy discussions regarding whether or not to develop additional testing policies and
administrative procedures.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q. Why is the Army sampling the water for lead now?
A. The Army is committed to providing a safe environment for Soldiers, Family
Members, and its civilian and contractor workforce. USAG-HI is in compliance with regulations
for testing for lead in drinking water. However, recent information highlighted the fact that,
although regular water sampling is being conducted at Army installations in accordance with
Federal, State, and Local standards, these standards do not require additional site-specific
testing at child development centers, youth centers and schools.
The Army wants to ensure it is protective of the children in its care. Therefore, additional
sampling is being performed for lead in drinking water at facilities where children age 6 years
old and under, who represent a sensitive population, could consume a significant amount of
drinking water.
This sampling effort will give the Army more detailed information about the status of the
drinking water at these facilities, facilitate the correction of any issues that are discovered, and
guide policy discussions regarding whether or not to develop additional testing standards.
Q. Why haven’t these facilities been tested previously?
A. The Army complies with regulations regarding sampling drinking water systems for
lead. Under those regulations, 90 percent of the drinking water supply sources tested need to
be below the action level to be protective of human health. While this regulation generally is
protective of human health, it does not specify the sampling of water faucets used for drinking
and food preparation at child development centers, youth centers and schools.
Q. What is the difference between testing a public water supply and testing at
schools?
A. The lead testing protocol used to test public water systems is aimed at identifying
system-wide problems. The protocol for testing water at child care centers and schools is
intended to gather data about water quality at specific sinks, faucets, drinking fountains and/or
taps (outlets) in those facilities. In order to obtain the different information needed for each type
of test, the protocols differ in fundamental ways.
When testing a public water system, a lead action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb) is
established for 1 liter samples, which are taken at many locations throughout the public water
system at high-risk residences. The one liter "first draw" samples are collected at each location
after water sits unused and in contact with building plumbing material for six hours or more.
Results are analyzed for individual samples, and if more than 10 percent of all the samples
exceed 15 ppb, system-wide corrosion control treatment may be necessary.
EPA recommends that schools collect 250 mL “first-draw” samples from water fountains
and other outlets used for consumption after water sits unused and in contact with building
plumbing material for eight-18 hours. EPA recommends that the water fountains and/or outlets
be taken out of service if the lead level exceeds 20 ppb. Because it is unlikely that water outlets
are flushed adequately every day before being used by consumers, this method of testing gives
an accurate representation of the worst-possible lead level that might be present at any time
during the day at each outlet. That, combined with the much smaller sample size, is why the
EPA does not recommend taking action unless a higher level, 20 ppb, is detected.
Both the 15 ppb action level for public water supply testing and the EPA recommended
level of 20 ppb for testing at child care centers and schools are triggers for treatment and/or
correction, not levels at which negative health effects are expected to occur.
Q. Is this testing different than regular drinking water testing?
A. Yes, because this testing is being done at facilities where children are getting water
from drinking fountains and faucets. The Army asked its experts at the U.S. Army
Environmental Command and the U.S. Army Public Health Command to develop the sampling
protocols. This allowed them to develop sampling methods that resemble how children get their
water. This will make the samples better resemble the water these children consume.
Q. If lead is found in the drinking water does that mean the children in that facility
are at risk?
A. The Army complies with the regulatory guidance for the overall water distribution
system that is considered protective of human health and, if lead above the action level is found
in drinking water at these facilities, immediate measures will be taken to ensure the highest level
of protection for the children in the Army’s care.
EPA sets the recommended maximum level for lead in drinking water with a goal of
identifying and correcting issues before negative health effects are experienced. Exposure to
lead does pose a health risk, but whether or not an individual experiences any negative health
effects depends on many factors. If parents or guardians have any questions or concerns about
whether their children are experiencing negative health effects as a result of possible lead
exposure, they are encouraged to contact their child’s primary care provider. Generally, clinics
and pediatric providers follow the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations for
lead screening and testing in children and infants. Providers also have the benefit of
considering information about the child’s medical history, current health, and potential for
exposure to other sources of lead when making medical decisions and recommendations.
Q. Is the Army sampling all of its child development centers, youth centers and
schools?
A. All Army installations will be testing for lead in their child development centers, youth
centers, and schools that have not been previously tested. Information from these sampling
actions will be used to give the Army more detailed information about the safety of the drinking
water at these facilities, facilitate the correction of any issues that are discovered, and guide
policy discussions regarding whether or not to develop additional policies and procedures.
Q. Will the Army develop a sampling standard for child development centers,
youth centers and schools on its installations?
A. This sampling effort will give the Army more detailed information about the safety of
the drinking water at these facilities, facilitate the correction of any issues that are discovered,
and guide policy discussions regarding whether or not to formally adopt additional testing
policies and administrative procedures.
Q. How does lead get into drinking water?
A. Measures taken during the last two decades have greatly reduced exposures to lead
in tap water. These measures include actions taken under the requirements of the 1986 and
1996 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Environmental Protection Agency’s
(EPA’s) Lead and Copper Rule, and the Department of Defense (DOD) Final Governing
Standards (FGS), as applicable.
Even so, lead can enter the water through contact with the plumbing that carries it, a
process called leaching. Lead leaches into water through corrosion – a dissolving or wearingaway
of metal caused by a chemical reaction between water and plumbing that contains lead.
Lead can leach into water from pipes, solder, fixtures and faucets (brass), and fittings. The
amount of lead in water also depends on factors such as the types and amounts of minerals in
the water, how long the water stays in the pipes, the amount of wear in the pipes, the water’s
acidity and its temperature.
Q. How do I know if tap water is contaminated with lead?
A. The only way to know whether tap water contains lead is to have it tested. You
cannot see, taste, or smell lead in drinking water.
Q. How do I learn more about the safety of drinking water?
A. The EPA and Army Regulation (AR) 200-1 require all community water systems to
prepare and deliver an annual consumer confidence report (CCR) for their customers by July 1
of each year.
The CCR summarizes information regarding the sources of water used (i.e., rivers,
lakes, reservoirs, or aquifers), any detected contaminants, and compliance and educational
information. You can find CCRs for USAG-HI water systems on the USAG-HI Sustainability
Website:
http://www.garrison.hawaii.army.mil/sustainability/DrinkingWater.aspx.
Q. What are the health effects of lead?
A. High levels of lead in tap water can cause health effects if the lead in the water
enters the bloodstream and causes an elevated blood lead level. Most studies show exposure
to lead-contaminated water alone would not be likely to elevate blood lead levels in most adults,
even exposure to water with a lead content close to the EPA’s “action level.”
Risk will vary, however, depending upon the individual, the circumstances, and the
amount of water consumed. For example, infants who drink formula prepared with leadcontaminated
water may be at a higher risk because of the large volume of water they consume
relative to their body size. Infants and children who drink water containing lead in excess of the
action level may experience delays in their physical or mental development. Children may show
deficits in attention span and learning abilities. Adults who drink this water over many years
may develop kidney problems or high blood pressure. (This is not a comprehensive list of the
potential health effects of lead exposure, but includes the most common effects.)
Q. What type of water sampling is currently performed on a regular basis?
A. Community water systems regularly conduct bacterial and chemical sampling,
including lead, to ensure they are in compliance with Safe Drinking Water Act standards.
Results showing exceedances during these samplings are included in the consumer confidence
report (CCR) each community water system is required to publish annually.
Q. If water sampling indicates an elevated level of lead in the water, what will be
done?
A. In the event sampling results indicate concentrations of lead that exceed the EPA
recommended level, appropriate corrective action will be determined and promptly
implemented. The steps required to correct such an issue will be determined on a case-by-case
basis in accordance with Federal, State, Local, Army or FGS requirements and will be
communicated to the water system’s consumers.
For additional information on lead, please visit these websites:
Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water (EPA):
http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/lead.cfm
Lead Home, Prevention Tips, Source of Lead, Water (Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention):
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/tips/water.htm
American Academy of Pediatrics, Policy on Lead Exposure in Children:
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/116/4/1036.full
Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry, Profile for Lead:
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ToxProfiles/tp.asp?id=96&tid=22
For questions about this water sampling effort, please contact the Directorate of
Public Works, Environmental Division at 656-4701 or michelle.lyman@us.army.mil.
The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act
Dear Faculty, Staff and Parents: The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) requires our school to notify the faculty, staff, and parents of the presence and status of asbestos containing materials in our school buildings. The law further requires a management plan based upon the findings of the initial inspection. We completed the required six months surveillance on December 2, 2013 and will complete the next surveillance in May 2014.
During our schoolwide renovation project in 2008, asbestos-containing building materials had been professionally removed from public spaces per the scope of work. The results of the recently completed surveillance indicate there have been no changes in the condition of the asbestos containing materials in our school.
A copy of the inspection report and the Asbestos Management plan is available for your review in our office during normal school hours.
