Assembly Bill 2370 is a new law that directly impacts licensed child care centers (CCCs) and involves testing and remediation for elevated lead levels in drinking water.
Specifically, Assembly Bill (AB) 2370, Chapter 276, Statues of 2018 requires:
Health and Safety Code section 1597.16 requires that all licensed Child Care Centers (CCCs) that were constructed before January 1, 2010, must test their water for lead within a three-year window, between January 1, 2020, and January 1, 2023, with subsequent testing every 5 years after the date of the first test.
Yes, there are additional requirements that CCCs must meet to be fully in compliance with AB 2370. These requirements are:
--Effective January 1, 2019, CCCs are required to provide parents and guardians of children enrolling or reenrolling in care with written information on the risks and effects of lead exposure, blood lead testing requirements and recommendations, and options for locations of affordable blood lead tests as specified.
--The State of California Department of Social Services, in partnership with the California Department of Public Health, created this Lead Poisoning Facts Flyer, to satisfy this requirement.
--This flyer must be provided to parents and guardians upon enrolling or reenrolling any child in care.
--At least one director or teacher at each CCC, and each family day care home licensee who provides care, shall have at least 15 hours of health and safety training. The training shall include the following components:
--Pediatric first aid
--Pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation
--A preventative health practices course or courses that include instruction in the recognition, management, and prevention of infectious diseases, including immunizations, prevention of childhood injuries, and, for licenses issued on and after July 1, 2020, instruction in the prevention of lead exposure that is consistent with the most recent State Department of Public Health’s training curriculum on childcare lead poisoning prevention.
The creation and passage of AB 2370 comes after California established a clear precedent when the State Water Resources Control Board, via Assembly Bill 746 (AB 746) mandated that community water systems serving public K-12 schools constructed before January 1, 2010, test for lead in the potable water system of each school before July 1, 2019, as well as carry out remediation for any testing points at schools which exceeded the action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb).
There is nothing wrong with the drinking water currently used at UCLA CCCs.
The drinking water currently used at UCLA CCCs is provided and maintained by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and originates from the Los Angeles Aqueduct Filtration Plant. This water is stored in the Los Angeles Reservoir, prior to delivery to UCLA, and undergoes an extensive amount of water quality testing before entering distribution lines and reaching the UCLA campus. LADWP is required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and State Water Resources Control Board Division of Drinking Water (SWRCB-DDW) to produce an annual report on the quality of the drinking water they distribute to consumers. The most recent report (2021) can be found here.
The CCCs directly impacted by AB 2370 and this project are the following:
--Fernald Center
--Krieger Center
--University Village Center
--Megan E. Daly Infant Development Program
--UCLA Westwood Child Care Center
--University Parents Nursery School
No other facilities aside from UCLA CCCs are impacted by AB 2370. However, UCLA’s K-12 facilities, the UCLA Lab School and Geffen Academy at UCLA, are being included in the current water testing as a preventative measure.
The UCLA Environment, Health & Safety Department has contracted Citadel EHS as the vendor to perform the water testing at UCLA CCCs.
UCLA EH&S will work with each CCC to determine each facility’s sampling date, with a tentative completion date of 10/31/2022 for all UCLA CCCs.
Once UCLA EH&S receives the results of the water testing at UCLA CCCs, UCLA EH&S will make the results publicly available on its website, www.ehs.ucla.edu.
Additionally, the California State Water Resources Control Board will post all sampling results on its website, www.waterboards.ca.gov.
Additional information regarding AB 2370 can be found via the State of California Department of Social Services Provider Information Notices (PINs), linked below:
PIN 22-06-CCP: Lead Testing in Child Care Centers – Frequently Asked Questions
PIN 21-21-CCP: Release of the Written Directives for Lead Testing of Water in Licensed Child Care Centers Per AB 2370
PIN 21-04-CCP: Availability of State and Federal Funding to Test Drinking Water for Lead Contamination in Child Care Centers and for Remediation (Correction) of Lead Contamination
PIN 20-12-CCP: Written Directives for Lead Testing in Child Care Centers Will Be Delayed Due to COVID-19
PIN 20-01-CCP: Required Lead Testing for Drinking Water in Licensed Child Care Centers and the Provision of Lead Exposure Information to Parents and Guardians by All Licensed Child Care Facilities
For additional information, you may contact:
Jose Ubeda, MS, REHS
Environmental Health & Safety Specialist III – Environmental Programs Manager
UCLA Environment, Health & Safety
501 Westwood Plaza, 4th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90095
Office: (310) 794-5399
Email: jubeda@ehs.ucla.edu
