EPA to Provide $26M in Grants to Protect School, Child Care Drinking Water

  • By Matt Jones
  • 06/18/25

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced that it will award $26 million in grant funding to test and fix lead-contaminated water at U.S. schools and childcare centers, according to local news. The grants will come through the Voluntary School and Child Care Lead Testing and Reduction Grant Program, and funds are eligible for all 50 U.S. states; Washington, D.C.; and four U.S. territories.

“Lead is a neurotoxin that can negatively impact American children,” said Lee Zeldin, EPA Administrator. “With $26 million in funding this year, more schools will be able to identify sources of lead in their water and take action so that our nation’s children can focus on learning, playing, and developing skills.”

The EPA has provided more than $200 million since 2018 toward reducing lead in drinking water. Other efforts include its “3Ts” program (Training, Testing, and Taking Action) to provide guidance to local and state officials in implementing voluntary lead reduction programs. According to local news, more than 20,000 childcare centers and 13,000 schools have participated in lead testing through the 3Ts program.

The grant program was established in 2016 through the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Singlewire Software Report Reveals Gaps in K–12 School Entrance Security

    Single Software recently released its first-ever School Entrance Security Report based on more than 500 responses from U.S. school staff members. According to a news release, the findings highlight a gap between K–12 leaders’ wishes for school safety and how safe the schools actually are, as well as the challenges facing students and staff in that goal.

  • Uvalde Schools Receive AI Security Technology through Grant Program

    AI-powered gun detection and emergency response technology solutions provider Omnilert recently launched the Save Haven Grant program, according to a news release. The first recipient of the grant, aimed specifically at schools that have faced gun violence, will be the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District (Uvalde CISD) in Uvalde, Texas.

  • Texas A&M Adds ALPR Technology to Parking Solutions

    Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, recently integrated automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) technology into its parking services and enforcement strategies, according to a news release. The university’s Transportation Services division deployed Genetec AutoVu ALPR to manage the campus’ 36,000+ parking spaces.

  • Beeville ISD Starts Construction on New Elementary School

    The Beeville Independent School District near Corpus Christi, Texas, recently began a construction project that will consolidate two existing, aging schools into a new elementary school, according to a news release. The district is partnering with Pfluger Architects and Spawglass General Contractors for the design and construction, respectively, of the new facility.

Digital Edition