Grant Will Help Replace Lead Service Lines for Licensed Child Care Facilities

Greater Cincinnati Water Works (GCWW) proudly announces it has been awarded $725,000 in state funding to replace lead service lines in licensed child care facilities within the utility’s service area.

GCWW will use the money to replace lead service lines at approximately 185 area child care facilities that are licensed by Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS). The $725,000 is the estimated cost of replacing all these service lines.

The grant was announced today by Governor Mike DeWine and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA). The funding comes from the H2Ohio initiative, which was approved by the General Assembly last year to ensure clean, safe drinking water throughout the state.

GCWW is one of the first water systems chosen to work with the State in the program’s initial phase. Because GCWW has a fully-developed Lead Service Line Replacement Program (LSLRP) to assist property owners with replacing their private lead service lines, it can easily expand its outreach and assist licensed child care facilities through the grant.

“Greater Cincinnati Water Works (GCWW) is very pleased and excited to receive this award,” said GCWW Director Cathy Bailey. “While GCWW has had a successful lead corrosion control program for years, we know the best way to reduce the risk of lead is to remove the lead lines. H2Ohio funding will allow us to work directly with childcare providers to remove their lead lines and reduce the overall risk of lead.  We are thankful and thrilled that this funding will help us positively impact our community for many generations to come!”

Application Process:
Any licensed childcare center with a lead service line in the GCWW service area is eligible to have their lead line removed at no cost to them. GCWW is currently mailing information to licensed childcare facilities which are known to have a lead service line, to encourage participation.

Further information on how to apply can be obtained by calling 513-651-LEAD (5323).

Background:
Lead is a toxic metal that can be harmful to human health even at low exposure levels. Lead is persistent and can accumulate in the body over time. Young children, infants and fetuses are particularly vulnerable to lead because the physical and behavioral effects of lead occur at lower exposure levels in children than in adults.

In children, lead exposure has been linked to damage of the central and peripheral nervous system, learning disabilities, shorter stature, impaired hearing, and impaired formation and function of blood cells. In adults, lead exposure has been linked to increased blood pressure and hypertension, decreased kidney function, and reproductive problems in both men and women.

The GCWW Enhanced Lead Program uses a two-tiered approach -- including increased public outreach and education, along with a cost-sharing program -- to remove the roughly 42,000 lead service lines located within the GCWW service area. GCWW is committed to removing these service lines during the next 15 years, utilizing the LSLRP. The effort is funded through a combination of local and state support.

GCWW offers free lead testing kits to its customers, along with water filters to qualifying households. Child care providers and all GCWW customers can also use the online “lead look-up map” tool to determine if they have lead service line at Lead.myGCWW.org.