New Hampshire Senate Bill 247, "Preventing Childhood Lead Poisoning from Paint and Water", requires that all schools and licensed childcare facilities in the state complete testing for lead in drinking water at all locations where water is available for consumption by children. It also requires clearer real estate disclosures for homes built prior to 1978 due to the fact that lead paint was widely used before this date. To further protect children from potential exposure, state officials recommend that all residents test for lead paint in homes built prior to 1978.
The Senate Bill 247 (SB247) water testing protocol consists of collecting one liter of water from each fixture first thing in the morning, before any water is used in the building. This is referred to as "stagnant lead" and is intended to represent worst case conditions. Lead is not naturally occurring ln water but can leach out of plumbing fixtures as the water sits stagnant over long periods of time. This is why, in addition to testing, it is important to flush the tap every day until the water runs cold before using it for drinking or cooking.
In compliance with SB247 we have recently completed testing of all school locations at which children obtain drinking water. No locations were found to have elevated levels. While the ultimate goal is for zero lead exposure, the action level in drinking water is currently set at 15 parts per billion (ppb) or 0.015 milligrams per liter (mg/L) as the threshold that spurs remedial actions. House Bill 1421 (HB1421) revised SB247 to set the action level in drinking water at 5 parts per billion (ppb) or 0.005 milligrams per liter (mg/L).