Missouri House bill would cut down on poisonous lead in school drinking water

Health officials say there is no safe level for exposure among children.
Missouri children would be better protected from lead poisoning under a state legislative bill to require schools to nearly rid their drinking water of the dangerous toxin.

The bill, heard Monday by the House Conservation and Natural Resources Committee, would require schools to test drinking water, remove old coolers and filter water where lead is found. The goal is drinking water with a lead concentration of less than one part per billion. The state’s current action level for drinking water is 15 times that.

In telling her colleagues about the bill on Monday, Rep. Dottie Bailey, R-Eureka, said the legislation would require schools to test their water and then mitigate. Typically, she said, adding filters would be the best fix.