On Oct. 13, 2017, California Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation (AB 746) making lead testing mandatory for California schools beginning in 2018. Golden State Water has worked closely with schools in our service areas to complete this important testing.

Throughout 2017-19, Golden State Water worked collaboratively with schools in our service areas that have elected to proactively sample for the presence of lead in the drinking water at their facilities. This school lead testing is aligned with the State of California’s Division of Drinking Water (DDW) initiative encouraging all schools throughout the state to work with their local water providers to test the drinking water served to students and staff for compliance with state and federal lead standards.

Upon written request from school officials, Golden State Water’s experienced Water Quality team provided free testing services and communicated the sampling results to the schools. View the test results for schools that have participated in the program.

Schools interested in having their water tested through this program are asked to submit a written request (click here) to Golden State Water’s Water Quality Department at waterquality@gswater.com. Or, contact us by phone at 800.999.4033.

Exposure to lead can pose serious health risks to children, particularly those five years of age and younger. Lead is not a common element in drinking water when it is distributed from the water treatment plant to customers; however, lead can enter water after coming into prolonged contact with a building’s lead-based pipes and plumbing fixtures.

Golden State Water has been serving reliable drinking water to Californians for more than 90 years and is committed to providing exceptional water service that meets all state and federal drinking water standards.

We will continue to update this page regularly, please check back for additional updates and information.

Helpful Links

State Water Resources Control Board (School Lead Testing Info)
FAQ About DDW’s School Lead Testing Program
Drinking Water For Schools Grant Program: The Drinking Water For Schools Grant Program is a new grant program to provide $9.5 million in funding to improve access to, and the quality of, drinking water in public schools pursuant to Senate Bill 828.