WIIN GRANT

What is the WIIN Grant?

The WIIN grant helps communities make drinking water safer by reducing lead. It supports projects that improve water systems in schools and childcare centers. These projects aim to remove conditions that cause higher lead levels in water.

Our department is committed to addressing lead in drinking water in our schools and child care facilities and overall reduction of childhood lead exposure across our state. With the funding appropriated under section 1464(d) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), amended by the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act section 2107, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) will assist in voluntary testing for lead contamination in drinking water at childcare facilities and schools serving children under 6.

EPA Guidance

We use the EPA's 3Ts Guidance to implement the program. This includes efforts to communicate the results and important lead information to the public, parents, teachers and larger community. The 3Ts are:

Training on the risks of lead in drinking water and testing for lead, as well as developing key partnerships to support the program.
Testing using appropriate testing protocols and a certified laboratory.
Taking action, including the development of a plan for responding to results of testing conducted. We provide guidance on addressing potential elevated lead remediation.

Reducing Lead Exposure

It is our goal to reduce lead exposure at schools and childcare facilities by testing for lead, identifying potential lead sources and taking action. This testing effort includes the goals of:

Testing water samples from drinking fountains and faucets used for consumption by children 6 years or younger at schools and child care facilities.
Providing education about lead and the importance of testing to Missouri school districts and licensed child care facilities.

Resources that have previously been made available for testing for lead contamination in drinking water in schools and childcare facilities will not be replaced by funds provided from this WIIN Grant: Lead Testing in School and Child Care Program Drinking Water. Grant funding will be used to supplement and enhance existing resources.

Step 1: Application

Step 2: Required Online Training

Step 3: Develop a Sampling Plan

We partner with local public health agencies (LPHAs) across the state on this important initiative. Participants are eligible to receive supplemental funding for developing sampling plans and collection of water samples. LPHAs are encouraged to assist schools in any capacity such as promoting the program, assistance with the development of sampling plans, and/or collecting the water samples for the childcare or school facilities.

Contact the WIIN Grant Program with questions at healthydrinkingwater@health.mo.gov or (573) 751-6102.

Frequently Asked Questions

Am I eligible?

Any licensed childcare facility or public-school serving children under the age of 6 in Missouri can apply.

What happens after I get the results?

Once samples have been analyzed, you will be notified of the results. For any samples that test above 5ppb (parts per billion), the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services will work with you to provide guidance on the remediation process.

How will testing affect my facility's daily operations?

Sampling shouldn’t impact the school day since the samples need to be collected in the early morning before staff and students arrive.

How does lead get into drinking water?

Lead can enter drinking water when plumbing materials that contain lead corrode, especially where the water has high acidity or low mineral content. Lead pipes, faucets, and fixtures are the most common sources of lead in drinking water. Lead service lines, the lead pipes that connect the home to the water main, are typically the most significant source of lead in water. Lead pipes are more likely to be found in older cities and homes built before 1986. Brass or chrome-plated brass faucets and plumbing with lead solder are the most common problems in homes without lead service lines.

Is there a safe level of lead in drinking water?

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to determine the level of contaminants in drinking water at which no adverse health effects are likely to occur with an adequate margin of safety. For most contaminants, EPA sets an enforceable regulation called a maximum contaminant level (MCL) based on the maximum contaminant level goal. The EPA has set the maximum contaminant level goal for lead in drinking water at zero because lead is a toxic metal that can be harmful to human health even at low exposure levels. However, lead contamination of drinking water often results from corrosion of the plumbing materials belonging to water system customers. Therefore, EPA established a treatment technique rather than an MCL for lead. A treatment technique is an enforceable procedure or level of technological performance which water systems must follow to ensure control of a contaminant. If more than 10 percent of tap water samples exceed the lead action level of 15 parts per billion, then water systems are required to take additional actions including:

Taking further steps optimize their corrosion control treatment (for water systems serving 50,000 people that have not fully optimized their corrosion control).
Educating the public about lead in drinking water and actions consumers can take to reduce their exposure to lead.
Replacing the portions of lead service lines (lines that connect distribution mains to customers) under the water system’s control.

What effect does lead have on children?

Young children, infants and fetuses are particularly vulnerable to lead because the physical and behavioral effects of lead occur at lower exposure levels in children than in adults. A dose of lead that would have little effect on an adult can have a significant effect on a child. In children, low levels of exposure have been linked to damage to the central and peripheral nervous system, learning disabilities, shorter stature, impaired hearing and impaired formation and function of blood cells.

Even low levels of lead in the blood of children can result in:

Behavior and learning problems
Lower IQ and hyperactivity
Slowed growth
Hearing problems
Anemia

In rare cases, ingestion of very high levels of lead can cause seizures, coma and even death.

What effect does lead have on pregnant women?

Lead can accumulate in our bodies over time, where it is stored in bones along with calcium. During pregnancy, calcium is released from bones as maternal calcium and is used to help form the bones of the fetus. Lead can be released during this process. This is particularly true if a woman does not have enough dietary calcium. Lead can also cross the placental barrier exposing the fetus to lead. This can result in serious effects to the mother and her developing fetus, including:

Reduced growth of the fetus
Premature birth

Where can I go to have my home, including the water, tested for lead?

Homes connected to public water systems need to contact their public water system administrator for information about water testing.

DHSS recommends private drinking well water be tested at least once each year and anytime the well is serviced or the water changes in look, smell, or taste. To receive a State Public Health Laboratory issued test request form, water sample collection kit and sample collection instructions, contact your local public health agency or the Bureau of Environmental Epidemiology at 573-751-6102, toll free 866-628-9891, or info@health.mo.gov.

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Contact Information

WIIN Program
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
PO Box 570
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0570

Phone: 573-751-6102

Email: healthydrinkingwater@health.mo.gov

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