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Division of Environmental and Community Health

Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention

A Division of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services

DHHS → MeCDC → Environmental and Community Health → Drinking Water → Public Water Systems → Testing Lead in Child Care Water

Testing for Lead in Child Care Drinking Water



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Why It's Important

Free Lead Testing Available

How to Get Your Free Lead Test Kit

If Lead Hazards are Found

Learn More


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All fixtures that supply water for drinking or cooking should be tested for lead.
 

Why It’s Important

Testing for lead in the drinking water at child care program facilities is critical because children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of lead. Lead is especially dangerous for children under the age of 6, potentially affecting brain development and causing:

  • lower IQ
  • learning disabilities
  • behavioral problems
  • speech and language delays
  • hearing damage
 

FREE Lead Testing Available

To help child care programs determine if there is lead in their drinking water, the Drinking Water Program (DWP) has a program that will provide funds to cover the cost of lead analysis for any child care program in Maine.

Child care facilities currently regulated by the DWP as public water systems are not eligible for this program, as those facilities regularly sample their water for lead. Also, samples collected through this program cannot be used towards meeting the requirements of DHHS child care licensing. Sampling for licensing requirements will need to be paid for by the child care program.

 

How to Get Your Free Lead Test Kit

To take advantage of these FREE lead test kits and sample analysis, contact the State of Maine Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory (HETL) at (207) 287-2727 and request PbCC sample kits (this stands for lead child care). The lab will provide up to 10 sample kits, sampling instructions, and prepaid postage for you to return the full sample bottles for analysis.

 

If Lead Hazards are Found

If elevated lead levels are found at any faucet, the Maine DHHS Childhood Lead Poisoning and Prevention Unit will contact your program and will conduct additional testing. If lead hazards are found, abatement will be required per Maine's Lead Poisoning Control Act. Abatement could be as simple as replacing an existing faucet with a lead-free faucet.

 

Learn More

For questions about the DWP's free testing program, call 207-287-2070. You can also visit Maine's Childhood Lead Poising Prevention Program website or call 207-287-4311.

For more information about...

The Program

Health Information

Lead in Water

Updated 3/15/2023