News Update

Bill passes requiring virtually lead-free faucets in schools, homes

The California Legislature passed a bill today that will require all faucets and plumbing fixtures, including those installed in schools, to be nearly lead free. It is the first legislation of its kind in the nation, according to Environmental Working Group, which co-sponsored the bill.

Assembly Bill 100 would go into effect in 2023 if signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. It would require all faucets and plumbing fixtures sold in the state to leach less than 1 microgram of lead.

“After years of working to protect children from the harmful effects of lead, I am thrilled to see AB 100 pass the Legislature,” said Assemblyman Chris Holden, D-Pasadena, the author of the bill. “AB 100 will protect children and all Californians from the damaging effects of lead.”

In 2019 California began testing lead levels in the water at schools and day care centers, but Holden said many of the replacement faucets still leach lead into the water.

Lead is a neurotoxin that damages the brains and central nervous systems of young children, according to speakers. Low levels of lead in children cause IQ loss, learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and impaired hearing.

“In order to protect children’s health, we need to get lead out of our drinking water,” said Susan Little, senior advocate for California government affairs at the Environmental Working Group. “Enactment of AB 100 will ensure that California schools and child care centers can purchase faucets and plumbing fixtures that leach as little lead as possible — as soon as possible.”