DENVER – A hearing for a bill that requires the installation of water filters in schools, child care centers and family care homes will be discussed by the House Appropriations Committee on Monday.

The bill would ensure that public K-12 schools, child care center, and family care homes across the state complies with national standards for clean drinking water. Each of these facilities would be required to install water filters on every source for drinking water and implement a plan for the maintenance of its filtration systems. Regular testing of drinking water and needed remediation efforts would be expected as well.

The water quality control commission may issue administrative orders and assess penalties to enforce the new provisions. The commission would be required to submit a report that summarizes the results of tests perform by by child care facilities. The report would also identify noncompliant schools, child care centers and family care homes.

Legislatures are mainly concerned with the presence of lead in drinking water in facilities where children are present. The prime sponsors of the bill include Representative Emily Sirota, Senator Faith Winter and Senator Rhonda Fields.

The Department of Public Health and Environment would provide training to schools and child care centers regarding water filter maintenance, flushing protocols, lead testing and reporting processes for sampling reports.

The bill creates the school and child care clean drinking water fund to pay for the costs incurred by child care facilities for complying with it’s new requirements.

For more information about this bill go to leg.colorado.gov.