North Carolina lead-in-water testing for schools & childcare

Applies to

both

Action level

10 ppb

Frequency

Child care: every 3 years. Public schools: one-time test (initial deadline extended; verify current deadline with NC DHHS).

State agency

North Carolina Dept of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ), Division of Water Resources, Public Water Supply Section

State program

https://www.deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/water-resources/drinking-water

Official source

https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Whats-New/new-rule-requires-testing-of-water-for-lead-contamination-at-child-care-centers

Child care: 15A NCAC 18A .2816 requires all licensed child care centers to test for lead at every drinking/cooking tap (at least every 3 years). Schools: SL 2021-180 (S.105 Appropriations Act) requires testing/remediation of lead in drinking water at every public school; implemented via 'Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids.' Sources: ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov; cleanwaterforuskids.org

Find a certified lab in North Carolina

PATHWAY TO FIND A CERTIFIED LAB FOR LEAD-IN-DRINKING-WATER TESTING How drinking water lab certification works (VERIFIED, EPA): - Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, STATES hold primacy and run the certification of laboratories that analyze drinking water. Public water systems must use a state-certified lab, and EPA approves the analytical methods while states manage the certification process itself. EPA does NOT test residential/commercial water on request, and does not run a single national "find a lab" search for drinking water; it routes you to your state program. (Source: epa.gov/dwlabcert; epa.gov/lead/can-i-get-my-water-tested-lead) - EPA's own lead-in-water guidance states: testing is the only reliable way to detect lead (you cannot see/taste/smell it), and "A list of certified laboratories are available from your state or local drinking water authority or on EPA's website." STEP-BY-STEP PATHWAY: 1. Start at EPA's directory of state certification programs (the primary, authoritative entry point): https://www.epa.gov/dwlabcert/contact-information-certification-programs-and-certified-laboratories-drinking-water . This page links to a PDF and to each state's drinking-water lab certification program and contacts. 2. Use the EPA PDF "State Certification Programs Certify Laboratories to Conduct Drinking Water Analyses": https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2023-03/state-cert-programs-certify-labs-to-conduct-drinking-water-analyses.pdf 3. Contact your STATE drinking-water program (or local water authority) to obtain its current list of state-certified labs and ensure the lab is certified for LEAD in drinking water specifically. NATIONAL LOCATORS (cross-state lab search tools), use to confirm/locate accredited labs, then verify state certification: - TNI/NELAP "LAMS" (National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Management System): searchable by lab name, TNI lab code, location, state, and accreditation body; covers environmental matrices including DRINKING WATER. Search: https://lams.nelac-institute.org/search . NELAP accreditation is delivered through state/AB accreditation bodies (e.g., FL, IL, KS, LA, MN, NH, NJ, NY, OK, OR, PA, TX, UT, VA). NELAP Accreditation Bodies list: https://nelac-institute.org/content/NELAP/accred-bodies.php - A2LA (American Association for Laboratory Accreditation): Directory of Accredited Organizations, searchable by organization/scope, including environmental/water testing scopes. Directory: https://customer.a2la.org/index.cfm?event=directory.index CRITICAL ACCURACY CAVEAT, do NOT use NLLAP for water: EPA's National Lead Laboratory Accreditation Program (NLLAP) accredits labs ONLY for lead in PAINT CHIPS, DUST WIPES, and SOIL, NOT drinking water. Do not present NLLAP (epa.gov/lead/national-lead-laboratory-accreditation-program-list) as a locator for lead-in-WATER labs. NLLAP recognizes accrediting bodies AIHA-LAP, A2LA, Perry Johnson Laboratory Accreditation, ANAB/ACLASS, and International Accreditation Service. Note A2LA appears in both contexts (paint/dust/soil via NLLAP AND, separately, environmental water testing via its general accreditation), so always check the lab's specific scope/matrix. BOTTOM-LINE GUIDANCE FOR SCHOOLS/CHILDCARE: Use a lab that is certified BY YOUR STATE for lead in drinking water. Begin at the EPA state-certification directory, then verify via TNI LAMS or A2LA. Confirm the lab's scope explicitly covers lead in drinking water (not paint/dust/soil).

• North Carolina drinking-water lab certification
• EPA, Contact Information for Certification Programs and Certified Laboratories for Drinking Water (state programs directory), Primary authoritative entry point. Links to each STATE drinking-water lab certification program and contacts; states certify labs to test drinking water (incl. lead). Use this first.
• EPA, State Certification Programs PDF (state-by-state lab certification links), EPA PDF listing each state's drinking-water lab certification program; companion to the directory page above.
• TNI/NELAP LAMS, National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Management System, National searchable directory of NELAP-accredited environmental labs (search by name, lab code, location, state, accreditation body); covers drinking water matrices. Verify the lab's lead-in-drinking-water scope and confirm state certification.
• TNI, NELAP Accreditation Bodies list, List of state/AB accreditation bodies that grant NELAP accreditation (e.g., FL, IL, KS, LA, MN, NH, NJ, NY, OK, OR, PA, TX, UT, VA).
• A2LA, Directory of Accredited Organizations, Searchable directory of A2LA-accredited testing labs and their scopes (includes environmental/water testing). Check the specific scope/matrix for lead in drinking water.
• EPA, National Lead Laboratory Accreditation Program (NLLAP) list (PAINT/DUST/SOIL ONLY, NOT water), CAUTION: NLLAP accredits labs for lead in PAINT CHIPS, DUST WIPES, and SOIL only, NOT drinking water. Do NOT use as a water-lab locator. Included here to prevent misuse.

For the full federal framework (EPA 3Ts, LCRI action level, WIIN funding), see the lead-in-water overview.