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It’s important to communicate with parents and staff throughout the entire lead in water testing process. Communicating early and often helps build trust. DCFS licensing standards require you to post your test results in a visible spot in your facility. If you need to develop and implement a mitigation plan, the plan should be made available to parents as well. Use the LeadCare Illinois notification templates below to help you meet these requirements and effectively communicate with parents and staff.

Notification 1: Your Facility Will Test Its Drinking Water for Lead

  • Use this template to notify parents and staff that you will be testing your water for lead.
  • This notification informs parents and staff when testing will occur, why your facility is testing, and which fixtures will be tested.
  • Place notifications in a visible place such as near an entrance, front desk, bulletin board, or location where information is typically posted.
  • This notification can also be shared via email, mail, newsletter, or on your website.

Template: Your Facility Will Test Its Drinking Water for Lead

Notification 2a: Communicate Your Test Results (All Samples Below 2.01 ppb)

  • If your lead in water test results showed all samples below 2.01 parts per billion (ppb), then use this template to share your results with parents and staff.
  • You must display results in a highly visible area in your facility. Consider displaying your results in an area where parents drop off or pick up children or where information is typically posted.
  • After you notify parents and staff of your test results, you are not required to take any further action unless changes are made to your building’s water profile. For more information about this, please visit the Illinois Lead in Water Testing Rules page.
  • It is important to adopt routine actions to reduce lead in water, even if all all samples are below 2.01 ppb. Check out the FAQs to learn more.

Template: Communicate Your Test Results (All Samples Below 2.01 ppb)

Notification 2b: Communicate Your Test Results (Lead Present at or Above 2.01 ppb)

  • If your lead in water test results showed that lead is present at or above 2.01 ppb in one or more of your samples, then use this template to share your results with parents and staff.
  • You must display results in a highly visible area in your facility. Consider displaying your results in an area where parents drop-off and pick-up children or where information is typically posted.
  • Implement immediate mitigation strategies at each fixture where lead is present as soon as possible so children and staff are not exposed to lead.

Template: Communicate Your Test Results (Lead Present)

Notification 3: Communicate Your Mitigation Plan

  • If your results showed lead is present at or above 2.01 ppb in any of your samples, you must implement immediate mitigation strategies and develop a long-term mitigation plan at each fixture where lead was detected at or above 2.01 ppb.
  • Once you’ve implemented immediate and temporary mitigation actions and formulated a long-term mitigation plan, you must make your mitigation plan available to parents.
  • Use the template below to help you formulate your message to parents.

Template: Communicate Your Mitigation Plan

Notification 4: Communicate Your Follow-Up Test Results

  • If lead is present in your drinking water, you must develop and implement a mitigation plan and retest your water at least two more times to verify the effectiveness of the mitigation strategies.
  • Use the templates below to communicate with parents and staff about the effectiveness of your mitigation strategies at each fixture and any follow up that might be needed.

Template: Communicate Your Follow-Up Test Results (All Samples Below 2.01 ppb)

Template: Communicate Your Follow-Up Test Results (Lead Present at or Above 2.01 ppb)