Washington Administrative Code
Title 246 - Health, Department of
FACILITY STANDARDS AND LICENSING
Chapter 246-366A - Environmental health and safety standards for primary and secondary schools
Section 246-366A-130 - Water quality monitoring - Lead
Universal Citation: WA Admin Code 246-366A-130
Current through Register Vol. 24-24, December 15, 2024
(1) School officials shall:
(a) Sample plumbing fixtures that are
regularly used for drinking or cooking.
(b) Use a laboratory to analyze all required
water samples that is accredited by the department of ecology, or other
appropriate agency if outside Washington state, according to EPA drinking water
laboratory certification criteria.
(2) Water sampling protocols. School officials shall:
(a) Collect representative
samples, according to the percentages required by subsections (3) and (4) of
this section, from each type and age of plumbing fixture regularly used for
drinking or cooking.
(i) For type of fixture,
use at least the three types: Drinking fountains, water coolers and
faucets.
(ii) For age of fixture,
use at least two groupings: Those manufactured prior to 1999, and those
manufactured since January 1, 1999.
(b) Sample as follows:
(i) Make sure cold water is the last to run
through the fixture to be tested.
(ii) Allow water to sit in the plumbing
system at least eight hours. No water may pass through the fixture during that
time.
(iii) Place the 250 ml sample
bottle under the faucet and open the cold water tap. Fill the bottle to the
shoulder or the line marked "250 ml," turn off the water and cap the bottle
tightly.
(3) Initial monitoring schedule for lead.
(a)
School officials shall conduct initial monitoring by sampling fifty percent of
the plumbing fixtures regularly used for drinking or cooking in elementary
schools or used by preschool children in K-12 schools within one year after the
effective date of this section. This may be either from fifty percent of the
fixtures in each school or from all of the fixtures in fifty percent of the
schools within a district. School districts shall sample the remaining fifty
percent of the fixtures within two years after the effective date of this
section.
(b) School officials shall
conduct initial monitoring by sampling at least twenty-five percent of each
type and age of plumbing fixture, as specified under subsection (2)(a) of this
section, regularly used by students for drinking or cooking in:
(i) Middle and junior high schools within
three years after the effective date of this section; and
(ii) High schools within four years after the
effective date of this section.
(c) School officials, with local health
officer approval, may apply samples collected after September 1, 2003, toward
meeting the initial monitoring requirement if all plumbing fixtures with lead
results above 0.020 milligrams per liter or 20.0 parts per billion have been
removed from service, or have been or are being addressed according to
subsection (5) of this section, and samples were:
(i) From plumbing fixtures regularly used for
drinking or cooking; and
(ii)
Collected consistent with subsection (2) of this section.
(4) Ongoing monitoring for lead.
(a) School officials shall repeat lead
monitoring every five years, beginning within:
(i) Seven years after the effective date of
this section for elementary schools;
(ii) Eight years after the effective date of
this section for middle and junior high schools; and
(iii) Nine years after the effective date of
this section for high schools.
(b) School officials shall use sampling
protocols in subsection (2) of this section to collect samples in all schools
from:
(i) No less than twenty-five percent of
each type and age of plumbing fixture which is not a "very low lead" plumbing
fixture; and
(ii) No less than ten
percent of each type of plumbing fixture which is a "very low lead" plumbing
fixture.
(c) Schools
that are Group A public water systems are not required to do ongoing lead
monitoring required by (a) of this subsection if the schools meet the lead
monitoring requirements in chapter 246-290 WAC.
(5) Corrective actions. School officials shall:
(a) For all plumbing fixtures with
sample results of lead above 0.020 milligrams per liter or 20.0 parts per
billion, immediately shut off these fixtures or make them inoperable.
(b) For all plumbing fixtures of the same
type and age as any fixture with results above 0.020 milligrams per liter or
20.0 parts per billion:
(i) Take immediate
corrective action according to (a) of this subsection; or
(ii) Collect first draw samples within ten
business days. Upon receipt of sample results, immediately shut off or make
inoperable all plumbing fixtures with results of lead above 0.020 milligrams
per liter or 20.0 parts per billion.
(c) To provide drinking water at the location
of these fixtures, take one or more of the following remedies:
(i) Bottled water. If bottled water is used,
provide bottled water that is produced by a Washington state department of
agriculture-approved bottling operation or out-of-state or international
bottler whose product meets federal Food and Drug Administration
regulations.
(ii) Manual flushing.
Manual flushing may be used only as a temporary remedy. If manual flushing is
used:
(A) Take flush samples from twenty-five
percent of each type and age of the fixtures planned to be included in the
flushing program to determine the flushing time necessary to reduce lead to
below 0.020 milligrams per liter or 20.0 parts per billion. Start by following
the sample collection protocol of first-draw samples described in subsection
(2)(b) of this section with the addition of letting the water run for thirty
seconds before filling the bottle.
(B) Open the tap of every fixture included in
the flushing program every morning before the school facility opens and let the
water run for the length of time established in (c)(ii)(A) of this
subsection.
(iii)
Automated flushing. If automated flushing is used, take samples from
twenty-five percent of each type and age of the fixtures included in the
flushing program to demonstrate that the automated system reduces lead to below
0.020 milligrams per liter or 20.0 parts per billion.
(iv) Fixture replacement. If individual
plumbing fixtures are replaced:
(A)
Precondition the new plumbing fixtures by running water through the fixture
continuously for twenty-four hours; and
(B) Collect first draw samples after
preconditioning and verify sample results of lead below 0.020 milligrams per
liter or 20.0 parts per billion. If the preconditioned plumbing fixture does
not yield a sample result below this level, (a) of this subsection
applies.
(v) Treatment.
Before treatment is used, submit an engineering project report to the
department, per WAC
246-290-110. Installation of
treatment devices will result in the school's designation as a public water
supply. School officials shall then ensure they comply with the Group A public
water system rules and regulations, chapter 246-290 WAC and water works
operator certification rules and regulations, chapter 246-292 WAC.
(6) Notification requirements. School officials shall:
(a)
Notify school facility staff, students, parents, and the local health officer
within five business days of the school officials receiving lead sampling
results above 0.020 milligrams per liter or 20.0 parts per billion.
(b) Make all results available for review
upon request.
Statutory Authority: RCW 43.20.050. 10-01-174, 10-12-018 and 11-10-080, § 246-366A-130, filed 12/22/09, 5/21/10 and 5/3/11, effective 7/1/13.
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