School Drinking Water
Water Testing in Joplin Schools
Per the requirements of the recently enacted “Get the Lead Out of School Drinking Water Act”, Joplin Schools has begun testing all water fixtures throughout the District.
The EPA's National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for Lead establish a treatment level of 15 ppb (parts per billion) in municipal drinking water systems. Missouri Senate Bill 681 “Get the Lead Out of School Drinking Water Act," passed in 2022, outlines that each school shall provide drinking water with lead concentrations below 5 ppb. Further, any school that tests at greater than 5 ppb of lead concentrations shall provide results and remediation plans to parents and staff.
In response to the new state law, Joplin Schools has been working to test water outlets in each building and make remediations where necessary to maintain lead concentrations below 5 ppb in outlets that provide drinking water, cooking water, or water that is used for cleaning utensils used for drinking or cooking.
Where testing indicated lead concentrations of more than 5 ppb, the following steps have been taken:
- Drinking fountains were prioritized for early plumbing fixes and have been remediated;
- Cafeteria outlets dispensing water for cooking or cleaning in kitchens were remediated;
- All bubblers or sinks in classrooms were removed or have received signage indicating the water is non-potable per MO Senate Bill 681;
- Classroom outlets dispensing water that may come in contact with cooking or drinking utensils have received signage indicating the water is non-potable per MO Senate Bill 681, or have been turned off.
As testing and remediation work is completed in Joplin Schools, test results and remediation updates will be posted in this space prior to the state-mandated reporting date of August 2024.