SACRAMENTO — The State Water Resources Control Board has executed an agreement to provide approximately $5 million in grant funds for testing and remediation of lead in drinking water at licensed Child Care Centers in California.

Assembly Bill 2370, which passed in 2018, requires that all licensed child care centers constructed before Jan. 1, 2010 test their drinking water for lead and do so within a three-year window.

Subsequent testing every five years after the date of the first test is also required.

Studies have found that even small amounts of lead exposure can make it difficult for children to learn, pay attention and succeed in school.

A second 2018 bill, Senate Bill 862, appropriates $5 million from the General Fund to the SWRCB and prioritizes centers serving infants and preschoolers. The Office of Water Programs at California State University, Sacramento will utilize the grant funds to implement a statewide program to assist priority centers, with support from the California Rural Water Association and the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network.