Overview:
-The requirement for water filters in all schools and child care facilities is a proactive measure against the neurotoxin still present in plumbing.
-Each institution must craft a Drinking Water Management Plan, detailing where filters will be placed and outlining schedules for water sampling and filter changes.
-Michigan schools must share Drinking Water Management Plans upon request.
Have you ever wondered whether the water your child drinks at school is safe? Until now, Michigan schools using city water weren’t required to meet any drinking water quality standards. That’s finally changed.
Michigan is the first state in the country to require that all schools and child care facilities provide drinking water through lead-removing filters. It’s a huge step forward in protecting our kids from lead, a potent neurotoxin that damages developing brains.
Since lead is still common in plumbing fixtures and pipes, it often turns up when schools test their water. Instead of letting children drink lead contaminated water while we guess where it might show up next in testing, the new law takes a preventative approach: stop exposure at the tap by installing filters certified to remove lead.
But strong policies only work if we follow through. That’s where families come in.
As of Jan. 24, every Michigan school and child care center was required to develop a Drinking Water Management Plan. These plans outline how each drinking water outlet will be managed and must be shared with anyone who asks. That includes you.
Now is the time to request your school’s plan and review it carefully. Each plan must include:
- A list of locations for bottled filling stations and drinking water where filters will be installed.
- A list of taps that will remain in use but clearly marked “not for drinking water.”
- A list of taps that will be taken out of service.
- A schedule for annual water sampling.
- A schedule for regular filter cartridge replacements.
Make sure each of the required elements are included and their plans make sense.
Look at where filtered bottle filling stations will go. Are key locations like the cafeteria, gym, and auditorium covered? Will any taps be left in use without filters or signage? Are there outlets students use that are missing from the plan?
If something seems off, speak up — before money is spent and the plan is locked in.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy awarded $50 million in grants to help schools comply, but more funding is needed to ensure requirements are met in every school and child care facility. Long-term success depends on local oversight and continued investment in things like filter cartridge replacement and water quality monitoring. The sooner you get involved, the better your chance of making sure your child’s school gets it right.
Ask your principal, facilities staff, or superintendent for your school’s plan. Once implementation begins — no later than June 2026 — ask to see the water testing results. Schools must provide them if requested. This is a rare moment when transparency is built into the system. Let’s use it.
Clean water at school shouldn’t be a luxury. In Michigan, it’s finally becoming the law. Let’s make sure it becomes the reality.
Planet Detroit’s Voices column includes opinion pieces from our community of partners and readers. These pieces express the voices of the authors and not necessarily those of the publication.
MORE VOICES
VOICES: Are Great Lakes protections drowning in deregulation?
In Detroit, federal environmental cuts and deregulation threaten the Great Lakes ecosystem, with layoffs at the Great Lakes Fishery Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and weakened environmental protections raising concerns about long-term impacts.
VOICES: Let’s protect federal clean energy investments
In Detroit, the IBEW Local 58 union hall stands as a beacon of sustainability, illustrating how federal clean energy investments can foster good union jobs and significantly cut energy consumption.
VOICES: EPA office closures under Trump threaten Michigan’s environmental justice
The Trump administration’s latest move to shutter EPA offices addressing pollution in poor communities, roll back 31 key environmental regulations, and cancel $20 billion in climate grants threatens the health and safety of vulnerable populations and undermines efforts to combat environmental pollution.
