Water testing / Daycare & child care
Daycare lead &
copper water testing.
Plan lead and copper testing for the taps used by your child care facility. Identify each fixture and arrange the correct first-draw collection instructions before sampling.
Include your state, licensing program, facility type and the number of drinking or food-preparation fixtures. List initial sampling and follow-up sampling separately. A general water sample does not document the collection conditions at every tap.
- Facility location and licensing jurisdiction
- Fixture list: drinking, kitchen, food preparation and infant formula outlets
- Sample count and initial versus follow-up purpose
- Required report recipient and licensing deadline
What does first draw mean?
A first-draw sample captures water when the tap is first opened after the required period without use. Running water before collecting that sample changes what is being measured.
Schedule collection before normal use of the fixture. Record its location, sample ID, date, time and the no-use period required by your sampling plan. Use the supplied containers and instructions. Do not substitute a flushed sample for a first-draw sample.
Bottle volume, no-use time, aerator handling and follow-up collection must follow the applicable program. A school, child care facility and public water system may have different instructions.
Washington child care requirements
WAC 110-300-0235 requires covered early learning programs to test lead and copper at food, formula, drinking and cooking fixtures before licensing approval and at least every six years. It specifies use of a Washington water laboratory accredited by the Department of Ecology and retention of results.
Include the licensing requirement with your request so the required laboratory scope and sampling plan are part of the project. A lead/copper panel is not a complete test of water potability. Private-well programs have additional requirements.
Questions about this test
Should I flush the tap first?
Not for an initial first-draw sample. Follow-up or flushed samples are a separate part of a sampling plan; keep the labels and records distinct.
Can I use one sample for the whole building?
A single sample does not describe every fixture. Build a fixture list around the drinking and food-preparation outlets covered by your program.
Does a passing lead/copper result mean the water is safe for every use?
It reports those analytes under the collection conditions tested. It does not evaluate bacteria, nitrate or every other possible water concern.
Sampling and technical guidance
Testing inquiries
Request a testing quote.
Tell us the sample type, elements and number of samples.