Filter First, child at drinking fountain

Policy Proposals

Michigan needs to act now in order to guarantee all students and staff have access to a reliable source of clean, safe drinking water at school. Michigan needs to support Governor Whitmer’s budget proposal allocating $55 million to the installation of filtered drinking water stations in all schools. The state legislature needs to pass a budget and the policy to require filtered drinking water stations to be installed in all Michigan schools. Additional funds should also be provided to schools for the ongoing costs of maintenance and testing for lead and copper following installation.

The state should also support legislation that requires schools to install filtered drinking water stations that meet NSF standard 53 for lead reduction. Additionally, all stations and filters should be properly maintained. To ensure adequate water access to all students and staff, 1 filtered drinking water station should be installed for every 100 students.