Schools and Child Care Facilities in Puerto Rico Have Access to New Funding to Reduce Lead Exposures from Drinking Water

In June, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $26 million in funding for states and territories to address lead in drinking water at schools and child care facilities. These funds include almost $200,000 for Puerto Rico and $60,000 for the U.S. Virgin Islands. The agency is allocating grant funding through the Voluntary School and Child Care Lead Testing and Reduction Grant Program.

According to the EPA announcement:
Lead is a neurotoxin that can negatively impact American children. With $26 million in funding this year, more schools will be able to identify sources of lead in their water and take action so that our nation’s children can focus on learning, playing, and developing skills that will maximize their potential and make our nation stronger.

“It’s important to recognize that lead is rarely found in source water, rather it typically enters the tap water in a school, home, or other type of building through the corrosion of plumbing materials,” said Harry Pena, President of Zimmetry Environmental. “Unfortunately, buildings constructed before 1986 are more likely to have lead pipes, fixtures, and solder. Another challenge is brass or chrome-plated brass faucets and fixtures. They can sometimes leach significant amounts of lead into the water, especially hot water. These are all reasons why testing water sources in schools and child care centers is so important.”

To help identify these types of exposure risks, the professionals at Zimmetry Environmental offer lead and other contaminant testing, monitoring, and consulting services. If testing identifies a problem, there are steps that can be taken to eliminate or mitigate any exposure risks found. Zimmetry has also sponsored an educational video about lead hazards in drinking water to raise awareness on this important issue. It can be seen at: http://youtu.be/2kvtAcpw1MY

To learn more about lead and other water quality testing resources, please visit www.zimmetry.com, call (787) 995.0005, or email info@zimmetry.com.

About Zimmetry Environmental
Since 2002, Zimmetry Environmental has been providing environmental consulting services to building owners and managers, architects, engineers, EHS professionals, and Fortune 500 companies. The company is based in Puerto Rico and provides services across the Caribbean and Central America. The professionals at Zimmetry offer environmental compliance, indoor air quality, asbestos, lead-based paint, Phase I ESAs, and general environmental consulting services.

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

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