A bill meant to boost water testing requirements in schools, as well as increasing the frequency of testing and ending exemptions, will soon head to Gov. Andrew Cuomo's desk. 

State lawmakers this month gave final passage to the lead testing bill, which also lowers thresholds for taking action on lead levels in drinking water. 

“Experts agree that there is no safe level of lead for children, and high levels of lead can be even more devastating for them,” said New York Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie.“This legislation would ensure that appropriate testing is done on a regular basis with no exceptions, and that the data collected is made public and any issues are remedied.”

The bill would increase school water testing frequency for lead from being periodic to triennial, require safe drinking water be provided by school districts free of charge if lead is detected, remove testing exemptions for some schools, set the lead action level at 0.005 milligrams per liter and require lab reports be made public as part of an existing dislcosure requirement for testing results. 

The bill also provides for funding for remediation through clean water infrastructure programs. 

“Children are especially vulnerable to lead exposure,” said Assembly Health Committee Chairman Richard Gottfried. “There is no safe blood lead level for children, and we should do everything we can to reduce lead in school drinking water to the lowest possible level. New York should be a leader in water safety and environmental health. The environmental, public health and school communities have done terrific work in developing and fighting for this bill, and I thank Speaker Heastie for his support.”