Public health agency response to lead-contaminated drinking water

This presentation will address lead in drinking water in the context of public health agencies' policies and practices for responding to and preventing childhood lead poisoning, as well as relevant guidance that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides or should provide to state and local lead poisoning programs. The presentation will look at why lead-contaminated drinking water is often overlooked as a potentially significant exposure source. The CDC's current shift toward promoting a holistic approach to preventing disease and injuries from hazards in the home provides a new opportunity for public health agencies to incorporate lead-in-water testing in their environmental risk assessments at the homes of children with elevated blood lead levels and to more intensively monitor water lead levels in their jurisdictions. The presentation also will discuss what some US cities and states have already done to address drinking water as a potential lead exposure source and practical steps that other jurisdictions could take to address this issue.