The following Frequently Asked Questions may be helpful in answering some of your questions. If you have additional questions about water quality, please send them to eoh@fpm.wisc.edu.
The slides from the CDL families session on July 6, 2023 are available.
If you would like to schedule a consultation with the UW Environmental Occupational Health Clinic to discuss concerns about your child’s health, please email eoh@fpm.wisc.edu or call 608-890-1992.
Can I get the slide deck from the July 6 water quality session for families?
The slide deck with information for CDL families is available here.
If you have questions or concerns about any of the details in the slide deck, please email them to eoh@fpm.wisc.edu.
What were the water quality sampling results in ______ classroom?
For the results from water sampling conducted on June 5 and 20, please review this slide deck. It contains the information that was presented at the July 6, 2023 session the CDL held for families. This slide deck includes the measurements from all classrooms, as well as communal fixtures, including those not used for water consumption.
Please note UW-Madison uses UW Environmental Protection Agency guidance of 15 parts per billion (ppb) or greater as the actionable level. The university is working with the Department of Health Services on additional testing and planning remediation steps. In the meantime, the CDL will continue to use bottled water.
If you have questions or concerns about any of the details in the slide deck, please email them to eoh@fpm.wisc.edu.
Why was the Child Development Lab (CDL) tested now?
As part of UW-Madison’s water quality program, the university participated in the Wisconsin Lead-in-Water Testing and Remediation Initiative. This voluntary program helps child care centers test and take action to reduce possible lead hazards through State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services grants and guidance.
UW-Madison and child care centers in general, including the CDL, are not required to test for lead, because our water comes from the City of Madison. Periodic testing has been done in the past (with no results above regulatory guidance), and UW Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) joined this voluntary program to proactively and systematically test water quality at child care centers on campus.
Lead testing was most recently performed on CDL water fixtures in 2019, 2020 and 2021, and all samples were below regulatory guidance.
Where were the samples collected that were above regulatory guidance?
The samples that indicated the presence of lead above regulatory guidance were obtained from a variety of sinks. (In regards to handwashing, human skin does not absorb lead in water even if the water contains lead over regulatory guidance levels.)
The majority of samples from our water fixtures were within regulatory guidance.
What are you doing to address this situation?
The morning after the first test results were received, six filtered water coolers were installed to provide additional drinking water locations, and staff were instructed to only use these coolers for consumption. Out of an abundance of caution, we will continue to use bottled drinking water throughout the CDL until our partners confirm that retesting and remediation steps are complete.
UW-Madison is determining an action plan that could include flushing pipes, as well as changing or adding fixtures and filtration. UW-Madison will work with DHS on follow-up testing after remediation has been completed, as well.
Who determines the regulatory guidance on lead levels in water for campus facilities?
There are currently no regulations requiring child care centers to test for lead unless they obtain their water from a well. (The City of Madison supplies the CDL with water.)
However, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulatory guidance for public water systems (such as municipalities, etc.) states that 15 parts per billion (ppb) of lead is an actionable level. EH&S uses this same 15 ppb measurement as the actionable level for drinking water fixtures.
How does lead get into drinking water?
- Plumbing systems built before 1986 may have lead parts, and homes built before 1940 may have lead service lines that connect them to public water.
- Lead found in tap water usually comes from the corrosion or deterioration of pipes, fixture components, or the solder that connects pipes to one another.
- Lead can also be found in some older drinking fountains and water faucets or pipes connecting a building to the main water pipe.
- When water sits in leaded pipes for several hours, lead can leach into the water.
- Human skin does not absorb lead in water (for instance in handwashing), even if the water contains lead over regulatory guidance levels.
- This EPA resource may be helpful: https://ehs.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1408/2023/06/EPA-Lead-in-Drinking-Water.pdf
How do I know if my tap water has lead?
- You cannot see, taste or smell lead in drinking water.
- Facilities built before 1986 are most likely to have been built with materials that contain lead.
- Testing is the only sure way to tell if there are elevated levels of lead in drinking water.
- Please contact Public Health Madison & Dane County if you suspect there may be an issue with lead in your home: health@publichealthmdc.com or (608) 242-6515. (UW-Madison is already collaborating with PHMDC on the CDL.)
Does a high lead level in my drinking water cause health effects?
- High levels of lead in tap water can cause health problems if you drink enough of the water.
- It is unlikely that water alone would increase blood lead levels.
- The level of risk depends on the person, the amount of lead in the water, and the amount of water you drink.
How might lead affect my (or my child’s) health?
- Lead absorbed by the digestive tract from all sources enters the bloodstream, where it distributes to all tissues of the body.
- Exposure to elevated levels of lead over extended periods of time, can lead to a variety of health issues, depending on the level and the length of time.
Here is a link to the CDC’s website with information about lead exposure, lead in drinking water, effects on children and other relevant information: https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/prevention/sources/water.htm
What can I do immediately at my home to reduce the amount of lead in my drinking water?
- Run your water to flush out lead.
- Run water for 30 seconds or until it becomes cold before using it for drinking or cooking.
- This flushes lead-containing water from pipes.
- Use cold water for cooking and drinking.
- Do not cook with or drink water from the hot water tap.
- Lead dissolves more easily in hot water.
- Do not boil water to remove lead. Boiling water will not reduce lead.
- Find more information at:
Where can I find more information about lead?
- Here is a link to the CDC’s website with information about lead exposure, lead in drinking water, effects on children and other relevant information: https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/prevention/sources/water.htm
- If you have immediate concerns about your child’s health, please email eoh@fpm.wisc.edu or call 608-890-1992 to schedule a consultation with the UW Environmental Occupational Health Clinic.