Skip to main content

Assemblymember Chris Holden’s Bill Ensuring Safe Drinking Water For School Children Passes The Assembly Floor

For immediate release:

Sacramento, CA – This week, Assemblymember Chris Holden’s bill, AB 249, which would establish a system to identify alarming levels of lead in water systems servicing California schools, passed the Assembly Floor and is headed to the Senate. 

“In 2018, I authored AB 2370, requiring all licensed child care centers to test their drinking water for lead by 2023. The results are in and the numbers are scary. It’s clear that with 1 in 4 child care centers containing alarming levels of lead in their water, we need to take action immediately. AB 249 is the first big step to reeling this problem in and correcting it,” said Assemblymember Chris Holden.

While there is no safe amount of lead content in drinking water, children are particularly vulnerable to elevated levels of lead exposure, which can lead to adverse cardiovascular, renal, reproductive, immunological, and neurological effects, and cancer. AB 249 requires water utilities to test water faucets and fixtures in K-12 schools for lead concentrations greater than five parts per a billion (5 ppb) over the next three years and replace fixtures that test above the 5 ppb standard.

“Even small amounts of lead can lower a child’s health and ability to learn. Lead is a harmful substance that has no place in any drinking water, especially our children’s water,” said Holden.

###