Why Michigan’s Filter First Bills Matter
Why Michigan’s Filter First Bills Matter
HB 4340, 4341, and 4342
A Glimpse of Lead in Michigan’s School Drinking Water
Prepared by Elin Warn Betanzo
UPDATED 10/26/23: I was honored to attend this highlighted event in Flint, Michigan where I got to join Governor Whitmer, Representative Puri, and former state Senator Ananich to celebrate Governor Whitmer’s signing the Filter First bills to install filter stations in all Michigan schools and child care facilities. I am proud to have been a member of the Filter First Coalition who helped educate lawmakers on this much-needed legislation.
Michigan Schools Highest Water Lead Level in Sampling Data Collected 2020-2022
The Michigan Senate and House are considering bills to protect kids from lead in drinking water. The Filter First bills call for schools to provide filtered drinking water stations, and to test water from the filtered drinking stations annually to ensure the filters are working properly. Filtered drinking water stations, often called hydration stations, are drinking water fountains with bottle fillers and filters that are certified for lead removal. These devices can replace old water fountains, be retrofitted for existing fountains, or be installed independently. On-tap or in-fridge filters are allowed to ensure drinking water is available where filter stations are not practical, and more flexible options are available for childcare centers.
We know there is no safe level of lead exposure. The Filter First bills ensure that all drinking water in Michigan schools and childcare centers is filtered, improving water quality at more than 3,000 schools and ensuring that most children drink water with lead below the AAP action level of 1 ppb.
Click here download a copy of Why Michigan’s Filter First Bills Matter.
Additional information on lead in school drinking water can be found in this PDF.