>> IT'S BACK-TO-SCHOOL TIME FOR HOOSIER STUDENTS, AND WHILE TESTING FOR LEAD IN SCHOOLS' DRINKING WATER MAY NOT BE TOP OF
MIND FOR PARENTS, A YOUNG INDIANA COMPANY SAYS IT SHOULD BE. BUSINESS OF HEALTH REPORTER
KYLIE VELETA. >> CHILDREN ARE MORE VULNERABLE TO LEAD THAN ADULTS; IT CAN CAUSE LOWER IQS AND
SLOWED PHYSICAL GROWTH. THE FLINT LEAD CRISIS RANG ALARM BELLS NATIONWIDE, BUT THERE ARE NO FEDERAL REGULATIONS THAT
REQUIRE SCHOOLS TO TEST FOR LEAD, AND MOST STATES HAVE ALSO NOT CREATED LAWS. HERE IN INDIANA, PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE NOT
REQUIRED TO TEST FOR LEAD. ZIONSVILLE-BASED 120 WATER AUDIT WANTS TO HELP PARENTS - AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS - WHO MAY
BE THIRSTY FOR ANSWERS. ERICA WALKER, DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND PROGRAMS AT 120 WATER AUDIT,
JOINS ME NOW TO HELP SORT THROUGH THIS IMPORTANT TOPIC. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. >> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> WE MENTIONED IN INTRODUCTION THAT STATES ARE LEFT TO FIGURE THIS OUT ON THEIR OWN. TELL US HOW INDIANA TACKLED THE
PROBLEM, AND WHAT WE FOUND HERE IN INDIANA. >> THERE ARE 14 STATES CURRENTLY THAT REQUIRE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO
TEST FOR LEAD BY LAW, AND AS YOU MENTIONED AT THE TOP, INDIANA IS NOT ONE OF THEM. BUT OUR AGENCIES AREN'T STANDING
IDLY BY. THE INDIANA FINANCE AUTHORITY IN 2017 OFFERED VOLUNTARY TESTING ASSISTANCE TO ALL PUBLIC
SCHOOLS, AND THAT INCLUDED THE COST OF SENDING OUT FIELD TEAMS TO COLLECT THE SAMPLES, ANALYZING THE SAMPLES, AND
HELPING SCHOOLS UNDERSTAND WHAT THE RESULTS MEANT AND WHAT THEY COULD DO. DURING THAT PROGRAM, ABOUT 50%
OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS PARTICIPATED. AND ABOUT 60% OF THOSE HAD AT LEAST ONE FIXTURE THAT HAD LEAD
CONCENTRATIONS OVER 15 PARTS PER BILLION. AND THAT IS THE THRESHOLD THAT THE U.S. EPA USES TO REGULATE
WATER UTILITIES. IT IS NOT A HEALTH-BASED STANDARD. AS YOU PROBABLY HAVE HEARD,
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
BE EQUIVALENT ROUGHLY OF A DROP OF WATER IN AN OLYMPIC SIZED SWIMMING POOL. WE NEED TO TEST DRINKING WATER
IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND IF THERE'S A RISK. THEN IT'S REALLY THE SIMPLE CHOICE OF HOW DO WE GET RID OF
THE SOURCES. >> YOU MENTIONED 50% OF SCHOOLS TOOK ADVANTAGE. SOME SCHOOLS MAY NOT HAVE TESTED
FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS. SOME WERE AFRAID BECAUSE OF THE REMEDIATION WAS EXPENSIVE. THAT ISN'T WHAT YOU FOUND IN
THIS REPORT. >> THE STATE AGENCY ENDED UP TRACKING REMEDIATION COSTS FOR EACH SCHOOL THAT PARTICIPATED,
OR SUB GROUP, RATHER, OF THOSE THAT PARTICIPATED, AND THEY FOUND ON AVERAGE, A SCHOOL THAT REPLACED FIXTURES SPENT $550,
AND THAT REPRESENTS SORT OF A RANGE. SO REPLACING A FAUCET, FOR EXAMPLE, MIGHT COST $200 WHILE
REPLACING A WATER COOLER WOULD BE MORE EXPENSIVE, SOMETHING BETWEEN 800 AND MAYBE $1,200. SO, RIGHT, THERE ARE SIMPLE AND
SOMETIMES LOW COST SOLUTIONS, SO THE FEAR OF FINDING SOMETHING SHOULDN'T KEEP SCHOOLS FROM TESTING.
THIS IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RISK AND PROVIDING CLEAN WATER IS CERTAINLY PART OF INSURING A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR KIDS.
>> TELL US HOW YOUR COMPANY REALLY KIND OF COMES ALONGSIDE AGENCIES, SCHOOLS, TO SORT OF HELP THEM.
>> WE'RE PRIMARILY A SOFTWARE COMPANY. WE HAVE CREATED A CLOUD-BASED SOFTWARE SYSTEM, AND WE WORK
DIRECTLY WITH UTILITIES, SCHOOLS AND DAYCARES, PUBLIC AGENCIES, TO MANAGE DRINKING WATER PROGRAMS.
WE ARE IN 12 DIFFERENT STATES, AND OUR CUSTOMERS PROVIDE DRINKING WATER TO OVER 4.5 MILLION PEOPLE.
SO, SPECIFICALLY, IN THE LEAD WORLD, OUR CLOUD-BASED SOFTWARE IS USED TO MANAGE THESE DRINKING WATER PROGRAMS.
EVERYTHING FROM TAKING DOWN INFORMATION ABOUT FIXTURES, TO TRACKING REMEDIATION. WE ALSO SELL KITS.
SO, THESE WOULD BE THE BOTTLES THAT ARE USED TO TAKE THE SAMPLES, OR PITCHER FILTERS, SOMETHING THAT CAN BE USED AS A
SHORT TERM MEDIATION STRATEGY. AND SERVICES, AS WELL. WE'LL COME ALONGSIDE, AND WE'LL HELP WITH EITHER SAMPLING,
REPORTING, JUST PROVIDING KIND OF THE EXPERTISE THAT FUELS THE PROGRAM. >> WE HAVE A FEW SECONDS LEFT.
TO MAKE THIS NEWS YOU CAN USE. WHAT CAN PARENTS DO AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS DO? >> THE FIRST THING PARENTS CAN
DO IS SAY THEY CARE ABOUT THIS ISSUE. CALL YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, SEE IF THEY'VE TESTED, IF THEY'VE
NOT, ENCOURAGE THEM TO DO SO AND SHARE THE RESULTS. SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS SHOULD DEFINITELY CONSIDER TESTING.
KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THE INDIANA FINANCE AUTHORITY'S PROGRAM, THEY ANNOUNCE THEY'RE GOING TO BE CONTINUING IT.
THERE MAY BE ASSISTANCE OUT THERE. >> THANK YOU, ERICA.