Health care experts, educators, and others met in Flint this week to celebrate new laws aimed at improving drinking water quality in Michigan’s schools and day care centers.
Under legislation signed into law this month by Governor Gretchen Whitmer, schools and day cares will be required to provide filtered drinking water. They will also have to develop a drinking water management plan.
The intent is to reduce children’s exposure to lead. Lead is bad for everyone, but especially young children who are at greater risk of neurological harm.
Dr. Brittany Tayler is the medical director for the Genesee Intermediate School District.
She says the Flint water crisis demonstrated the need to prevent young children from being exposed to lead.
“Really critical, particularly in the daycares and things like that during that critical brain development period,” said Tayler.
The state of Michigan will soon begin testing all one and two-year-olds for lead exposure.
