Michigan has firmly positioned itself at the vanguard of the national fight against lead contamination, becoming the first state to mandate filtered drinking water in all educational and childcare establishments. Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer enacted this landmark decision on Thursday, setting a clear path towards ensuring the safety and health of Michigan’s children.
Under this groundbreaking legislation, all schools and daycare centers have until the culmination of the 2025-26 academic year to guarantee at least one bottle-filling station or faucet filter for every 100 students. The intent is unambiguous: to thwart potential lead exposure that can result in severe neurological and developmental consequences.
The financial ramifications of this legislation are substantial. A nonpartisan review anticipates the initiative’s implementation to be in the ballpark of $65 million.
This initiative can be seen as the continuation of Michigan’s dedication to remedying the aftermath of the 2015 Flint water crisis. By 2021, the state alarmingly ranked fourth in the number of children displaying high levels of lead in their bloodstream. The state’s proactive response to such grave concerns began with former Gov. Rick Snyder, who in 2018 intensified drinking water regulations in the wake of the Flint debacle. Gov. Whitmer has since amplified these efforts, channeling funds towards the replacement of lead service lines and recently ratifying a law advocating universal lead screening for young children.
Speaking on the matter, Gov. Whitmer asserted, “In Michigan, we’ve borne witness to the dire consequences of lead exposure. Our undying commitment remains – to ensure our children never face this ordeal again.” In addition, she also set into motion distinct legislation to fortify “Obamacare” safeguards at the state level, thereby reinforcing protection for Michiganders with pre-existing medical conditions.
The next step in this journey involves schools and daycare establishments devising a comprehensive “drinking water management plan” within the next 15 months. This plan, which is due for a revision every five years, must delineate the sites of bottle-filling stations and detail a filter testing schedule.
Historically, water testing has not been a governmental mandate. However, a startling discovery was made when a majority of the 114 Michigan educational and childcare facilities that voluntarily underwent testing between 2020 and 2022 reported high lead levels.
In anticipation of the financial strain these new laws might pose, Michigan legislators earmarked $50 million in 2022 to assist these establishments in procuring the necessary water filters.
The Natural Resources Defense Council, a staunch advocate for the new Michigan policy, postulates that this approach – equipping every school with filtered water bottle filling stations – is a more cost-effective strategy than exhaustive tap testing and subsequent unit replacement, a method mulled over by other states.