EPA Awards $26M to Cut Lead in School, Child Care Drinking Water

Funding aims to help states and territories test and fix lead-contaminated water at schools and child care facilities nationwide.

• By Stasia DeMarco
• Jun 16, 2025

The EPA announced that it will provide $26 million in grant funding to U.S. states and territories to reduce lead in drinking water at schools and childcare centers.

The funding is part of the EPA’s ongoing efforts to support testing and remediation of lead-contaminated water at locations where children learn and play. Since 2018, the agency has distributed more than $200 million toward reducing exposure to lead in drinking water.

“Lead is a neurotoxin that can negatively impact American children,” said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. “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.”

Grants will be issued through the Voluntary School and Child Care Lead Testing and Reduction Grant Program. All 50 states, the District of Columbia, and four U.S. territories are eligible for funding. A separate allocation for tribal entities is expected to be released soon.

The EPA’s broader efforts include the “3Ts” program — Training, Testing, and Taking Action — which provides guidance for local and state officials to implement voluntary lead reduction initiatives. Since 2019, more than 20,000 childcare centers and 13,000 schools have participated in lead testing through the program. Over 1,300 childcare facilities and 2,500 schools have completed remediation.

Several states have demonstrated notable progress using prior funding. In Texas, state officials have tested approximately 97% of the more than 1,500 facilities targeted through a free lead sampling initiative. Colorado’s “Test and Fix Water for Kids” program has helped protect an estimated 600,000 children from exposure to lead. In New Hampshire, more than 360 schools have replaced drinking water fixtures, while 80 childcare facilities have completed similar remediation efforts.

The grant program was established under the 2016 Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act, which authorized funding to help states, territories, and tribes support voluntary lead testing and mitigation in school and childcare drinking water systems.