Lead Testing in Schools

Santa Rosa’s water system is continually monitored to ensure our drinking water meets or exceeds the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s and State Water Resources Control Board’s drinking water requirements.  Santa Rosa Water delivers approximately six billion gallons of drinking water, each year, to over 53,000 customer accounts, including schools. To ensure that older plumbing fixtures and components are not leaching lead into the water supply, Santa Rosa Water will perform water quality testing at K-12 public schools per the California State Water Board Division of Drinking Water’s (DDW) new guidelines. 

In 2017, the Governor of California signed into law Assembly Bill (AB) 746, requiring water systems in California to test the water for lead at all K-12 public schools that the public water system serves.  This testing is required to be completed before July 1, 2019.    

At Santa Rosa Water, we are committed to supporting our schools’ efforts to protect public health and ensure that the drinking water at their sites meets lead standards.  Per the Federal and State guidelines for lead testing, we are working with schools in our service area to develop a water sampling plan, test samples, and conduct follow-up monitoring for any school that needs to take action.

Test results will be posted California State Water Board Division of Drinking Water’s searchable map below. Enter the school address in the search menu to view results.

Important Information for Schools - Program Guidelines and Timeline

Schools must contact Santa Rosa Water by November 9, 2018 to request testing.  Below, please find a copy of the letter sent to all public schools in our service area:

Upon receiving the request, Santa Rosa Water will meet with school or school district officials to develop a sampling plan.

Santa Rosa Water will finalize the sampling plan and then collect and test samples. A state-certified laboratory will analyze the samples.

We will notify the State’s Division of Drinking Water and the school of the results in writing within 10 days of receiving the sample result. If results exceed the “Action Level” of 15 parts per billion, which is the level at which treatment or other action is required, we will conduct additional testing and notify the school within 2 business days of receiving the result. We will also include a summary of school testing in our annual water quality report.

Elements of the Sampling Plan

We will work with each school’s designated on-site representative to conduct a survey to identify the plumbing fixtures for sample collection. The sampling plan will be unique for each school.

Sites selected should be regularly used. For example:

  • Drinking fountains
  • Cafeteria/food preparation areas
  • Reusable water bottle filling stations.
Lead Testing

Who is Responsible for What?

Santa Rosa Water is responsible for the costs to develop sampling plans, collect samples, perform tests, and communicate results to the State’s Division of Drinking Water and the school.

Schools are responsible for corrective actions needed if they exceed the “Action Level”, as well as for sharing sampling results with their school board, parents, students, and other stakeholders.

Our Water System

We work daily to ensure the water we provide to customers meets or exceeds all state and federal safe drinking water standards. This includes following the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead and Copper Rule. In addition to complying with those sampling regulations, we ensure the safety of our water systems by rigorously monitoring water quality, maintaining and upgrading our water system, testing the corrosiveness of the water, implementing corrective measures when needed, and carefully planning and conducting thorough water quality testing before using any new source of water.

To view our annual water quality report, click here.

More Information

For more information on Santa Rosa Water’s lead testing in schools program, please call our water quality hotline at 707-543-3965.

For the DDW’s guidelines and FAQ, visit the State Water Resources Control Board website.

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