WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.241
>> IT'S BACK-TO-SCHOOL TIME FOR
HOOSIER STUDENTS, AND WHILE
TESTING FOR LEAD IN SCHOOLS'
DRINKING WATER MAY NOT BE TOP OF

2
00:00:08.241 --> 00:00:17.984
MIND FOR PARENTS, A YOUNG
INDIANA COMPANY SAYS IT SHOULD
BE.
BUSINESS OF HEALTH REPORTER

3
00:00:17.984 --> 00:00:24.657
KYLIE VELETA.
>> CHILDREN ARE MORE
VULNERABLE TO LEAD THAN ADULTS;
IT CAN CAUSE LOWER IQS AND

4
00:00:24.657 --> 00:00:28.094
SLOWED PHYSICAL GROWTH.
THE FLINT LEAD CRISIS RANG ALARM
BELLS NATIONWIDE, BUT THERE ARE
NO FEDERAL REGULATIONS THAT

5
00:00:28.094 --> 00:00:32.465
REQUIRE SCHOOLS TO TEST FOR
LEAD, AND MOST STATES HAVE ALSO
NOT CREATED LAWS. HERE IN
INDIANA, PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE NOT

6
00:00:32.465 --> 00:00:40.874
REQUIRED TO TEST FOR LEAD.
ZIONSVILLE-BASED 120 WATER AUDIT
WANTS TO HELP PARENTS - AND
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS - WHO MAY

7
00:00:40.874 --> 00:00:46.279
BE THIRSTY FOR ANSWERS. ERICA
WALKER, DIRECTOR OF
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND
PROGRAMS AT 120 WATER AUDIT,

8
00:00:46.279 --> 00:00:52.318
JOINS ME NOW TO HELP SORT
THROUGH THIS IMPORTANT TOPIC.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

9
00:00:52.318 --> 00:00:58.558
>> WE MENTIONED IN INTRODUCTION
THAT STATES ARE LEFT TO FIGURE
THIS OUT ON THEIR OWN.
TELL US HOW INDIANA TACKLED THE

10
00:00:58.558 --> 00:01:05.598
PROBLEM, AND WHAT WE FOUND HERE
IN INDIANA.
>> THERE ARE 14 STATES CURRENTLY
THAT REQUIRE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO

11
00:01:05.598 --> 00:01:14.741
TEST FOR LEAD BY LAW, AND AS YOU
MENTIONED AT THE TOP, INDIANA IS
NOT ONE OF THEM.
BUT OUR AGENCIES AREN'T STANDING

12
00:01:14.741 --> 00:01:22.282
IDLY BY.
THE INDIANA FINANCE AUTHORITY IN
2017 OFFERED VOLUNTARY TESTING
ASSISTANCE TO ALL PUBLIC

13
00:01:22.282 --> 00:01:29.689
SCHOOLS, AND THAT INCLUDED THE
COST OF SENDING OUT FIELD TEAMS
TO COLLECT THE SAMPLES,
ANALYZING THE SAMPLES, AND

14
00:01:29.689 --> 00:01:36.029
HELPING SCHOOLS UNDERSTAND WHAT
THE RESULTS MEANT AND WHAT THEY
COULD DO.
DURING THAT PROGRAM, ABOUT 50%

15
00:01:36.029 --> 00:01:45.872
OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS
PARTICIPATED.
AND ABOUT 60% OF THOSE HAD AT
LEAST ONE FIXTURE THAT HAD LEAD

16
00:01:45.872 --> 00:01:52.312
CONCENTRATIONS OVER 15 PARTS PER
BILLION.
AND THAT IS THE THRESHOLD THAT
THE U.S. EPA USES TO REGULATE

17
00:01:52.312 --> 00:01:56.850
WATER UTILITIES.
IT IS NOT A HEALTH-BASED
STANDARD.
AS YOU PROBABLY HAVE HEARD,

18
00:01:56.850 --> 00:02:06.025
THERE'S NO SAFE LEVEL OF LEAD.
AND TO GIVE YOU KIND OF A SENSE
OF WHAT THESE CONCENTRATIONS
MEAN, ONE PART PER BILLION WOULD

19
00:02:06.025 --> 00:02:15.668
BE EQUIVALENT ROUGHLY OF A DROP
OF WATER IN AN OLYMPIC SIZED
SWIMMING POOL.
WE NEED TO TEST DRINKING WATER

20
00:02:15.668 --> 00:02:21.808
IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND IF
THERE'S A RISK.
THEN IT'S REALLY THE SIMPLE
CHOICE OF HOW DO WE GET RID OF

21
00:02:21.808 --> 00:02:29.182
THE SOURCES.
>> YOU MENTIONED 50% OF SCHOOLS
TOOK ADVANTAGE.
SOME SCHOOLS MAY NOT HAVE TESTED

22
00:02:29.182 --> 00:02:36.222
FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
SOME WERE AFRAID BECAUSE OF THE
REMEDIATION WAS EXPENSIVE.
THAT ISN'T WHAT YOU FOUND IN

23
00:02:36.222 --> 00:02:42.495
THIS REPORT.
>> THE STATE AGENCY ENDED UP
TRACKING REMEDIATION COSTS FOR
EACH SCHOOL THAT PARTICIPATED,

24
00:02:42.495 --> 00:02:52.839
OR SUB GROUP, RATHER, OF THOSE
THAT PARTICIPATED, AND THEY
FOUND ON AVERAGE, A SCHOOL THAT
REPLACED FIXTURES SPENT $550,

25
00:02:52.839 --> 00:02:59.279
AND THAT REPRESENTS SORT OF A
RANGE.
SO REPLACING A FAUCET, FOR
EXAMPLE, MIGHT COST $200 WHILE

26
00:02:59.279 --> 00:03:08.521
REPLACING A WATER COOLER WOULD
BE MORE EXPENSIVE, SOMETHING
BETWEEN 800 AND MAYBE $1,200.
SO, RIGHT, THERE ARE SIMPLE AND

27
00:03:08.521 --> 00:03:16.663
SOMETIMES LOW COST SOLUTIONS, SO
THE FEAR OF FINDING SOMETHING
SHOULDN'T KEEP SCHOOLS FROM
TESTING.

28
00:03:16.663 --> 00:03:23.436
THIS IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
RISK AND PROVIDING CLEAN WATER
IS CERTAINLY PART OF INSURING A
SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR KIDS.

29
00:03:23.436 --> 00:03:33.279
>> TELL US HOW YOUR COMPANY
REALLY KIND OF COMES ALONGSIDE
AGENCIES, SCHOOLS, TO SORT OF
HELP THEM.

30
00:03:33.279 --> 00:03:41.187
>> WE'RE PRIMARILY A SOFTWARE
COMPANY.
WE HAVE CREATED A CLOUD-BASED
SOFTWARE SYSTEM, AND WE WORK

31
00:03:41.187 --> 00:03:49.596
DIRECTLY WITH UTILITIES, SCHOOLS
AND DAYCARES, PUBLIC AGENCIES,
TO MANAGE DRINKING WATER
PROGRAMS.

32
00:03:49.596 --> 00:03:58.304
WE ARE IN 12 DIFFERENT STATES,
AND OUR CUSTOMERS PROVIDE
DRINKING WATER TO OVER
4.5 MILLION PEOPLE.

33
00:03:58.304 --> 00:04:04.444
SO, SPECIFICALLY, IN THE LEAD
WORLD, OUR CLOUD-BASED SOFTWARE
IS USED TO MANAGE THESE DRINKING
WATER PROGRAMS.

34
00:04:04.444 --> 00:04:10.483
EVERYTHING FROM TAKING DOWN
INFORMATION ABOUT FIXTURES, TO
TRACKING REMEDIATION.
WE ALSO SELL KITS.

35
00:04:10.483 --> 00:04:18.591
SO, THESE WOULD BE THE BOTTLES
THAT ARE USED TO TAKE THE
SAMPLES, OR PITCHER FILTERS,
SOMETHING THAT CAN BE USED AS A

36
00:04:18.591 --> 00:04:25.198
SHORT TERM MEDIATION STRATEGY.
AND SERVICES, AS WELL.
WE'LL COME ALONGSIDE, AND WE'LL
HELP WITH EITHER SAMPLING,

37
00:04:25.198 --> 00:04:32.639
REPORTING, JUST PROVIDING KIND
OF THE EXPERTISE THAT FUELS THE
PROGRAM.
>> WE HAVE A FEW SECONDS LEFT.

38
00:04:32.639 --> 00:04:40.513
TO MAKE THIS NEWS YOU CAN USE.
WHAT CAN PARENTS DO AND SCHOOL
ADMINISTRATORS DO?
>> THE FIRST THING PARENTS CAN

39
00:04:40.513 --> 00:04:46.285
DO IS SAY THEY CARE ABOUT THIS
ISSUE.
CALL YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, SEE
IF THEY'VE TESTED, IF THEY'VE

40
00:04:46.285 --> 00:04:51.457
NOT, ENCOURAGE THEM TO DO SO AND
SHARE THE RESULTS.
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS SHOULD
DEFINITELY CONSIDER TESTING.

41
00:04:51.457 --> 00:04:56.763
KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THE INDIANA
FINANCE AUTHORITY'S PROGRAM,
THEY ANNOUNCE THEY'RE GOING TO
BE CONTINUING IT.

42
00:04:56.763 --> 00:04:59.198
THERE MAY BE ASSISTANCE OUT
THERE.
>> THANK YOU, ERICA.