- Before 2010
- Building-age cutoff for covered licensed centers
- 5 years
- Maximum interval between required outlet tests
- 5.5 ppb
- A result at or above this level requires action
Three things to know
- Confirm your center’s building and licensing history to determine coverage.
- Track required outlets and their sampling dates for the next testing cycle.
- Elevated results require prompt outlet restrictions and follow-up; see the steps below.
Lead can enter drinking water from plumbing, solder, and fixtures. It cannot be identified by taste, smell, or appearance. Testing individual outlets helps identify problems that a water supplier’s general report may not reveal. Lead exposure is especially concerning for young children. EPA: lead in drinking water ↗
Does AB 2370 apply to your center?
California requires licensed child care centers in buildings constructed before January 1, 2010 to test their drinking water for lead. Coverage depends on the license and building, not the county. This is a statewide child care requirement, rather than a testing requirement for every commercial building or home. California Health and Safety Code: Section 1597.16 ↗
Licensed family child care homes are outside this center-testing mandate. Renovating an older building or replacing its fixtures does not create an exemption. A covered licensed center on school grounds still needs testing that meets the child care program’s requirements. CDSS: coverage questions 29–31 ↗
When is testing due?
Licenses issued before July 1, 2022: initial results had to be received and posted before January 1, 2023.
Licenses issued on or after July 1, 2022: receive and post initial results within 180 days of licensure.
Repeat testing: test each required outlet at least every five years from its most recent lead sampling. CDSS Written Directives: Section 101700 ↗
Review actual sampling dates when planning the next cycle. A center that last sampled in 2022 may need repeat testing in 2027. If testing is overdue, contact the center’s Licensing Program Analyst and arrange compliant testing.
What should you arrange before testing?
Use a Certified External Water Sampler who meets CDSS qualifications and training requirements. Obtain the completed LIC 9275 self-certification form before sampling. CDSS: sampler requirements and form ↗
Prepare a LIC 999 facility sketch, identify and label outlets, assign a staff contact, and complete LIC 9276 with the sampler. Evaluate indoor and outdoor outlets, including filtered dispensers. Required testing covers cold-water outlets used for drinking or food preparation. Coordinate access and the required preparation with the sampler. CDSS: sampling checklist ↗
Use a laboratory with California ELAP accreditation for lead in drinking water using EPA Method 200.8. The program requires a 1 Parts per billion (ppb)A concentration unit used in lead-in-water reporting. A number only makes sense with the sample, method, and applicable comparison criteria. reporting limit and electronic laboratory submission of results to the State Water Board. Water Board: instructions to laboratories ↗
What do 5 ppb and 5.5 ppb mean?
The action level is 5 parts per billion (ppb). CDSS rounds fractional results to whole numbers before comparison; 5.5 ppb or higher is an Action Level Exceedance. CDSS Written Directives: Section 101700.3 ↗
Immediately remove an affected outlet from drinking-water and food-preparation service and make it inaccessible to children. Reuse requires Mold remediationWork to address mold-affected materials and the moisture conditions associated with the problem. and retesting that confirms a result below the exceedance threshold. CDSS: June 2026 testing update ↗
What happens after testing?
Send LIC 9275, LIC 999, and LIC 9276 to the Licensing Program Analyst within two weeks of sampling. Post results for families within 24 hours of receiving them from CDSS. After an exceedance, submit required outlet photos within one week of notification and develop a Plan of Correction with the Licensing Program Analyst within 10 business days of receiving results. CDSS Written Directives: Sections 101703–101704 ↗
Parents or guardians must receive information about the testing requirement and results. Provide a potable alternative for children and staff when affected outlets are shut down. California Health and Safety Code: Section 1597.16 ↗
The correction plan addresses completed and planned work, deadlines, and parent notification. It can include permanently ending an outlet’s drinking or food-preparation use. CDSS Written Directives: Section 101704 ↗
Replacement outlets require conditioning and follow-up testing before reuse. Plan for at least three weeks of the required flushing schedule and keep the flushing record. CDSS: replacement-fixture guidance ↗
Common questions
We only use bottled water. Must we test?
If the center exclusively uses bottled water and no outlets supply drinking or food-preparation water, CDSS says sampling is not required. Confirm and document the arrangement with your Licensing Program Analyst. CDSS: question 34 ↗
Do filters, well water, or a self-test kit change the requirements?
Filters and well water do not remove the testing requirement. Self-test kits do not satisfy AB 2370. CDSS: questions 21, 32, and 33 ↗
Do family child care homes have other lead-information duties?
Yes. Both centers and family child care homes must provide CDSS’s lead-information flyer when a child enrolls or reenrolls, even though family child care homes are outside this center water-testing mandate. CDSS: provider information for families ↗
Can families look up a center’s results?
The State Water Board provides public results and an interactive testing-results map. State Water Board: child care testing results ↗
An “untested” map label alone does not establish noncompliance. Building age, bottled-water arrangements, inactive status, a new license, or a waiver may explain it. Check the center’s current licensing records and circumstances. CDSS: interpreting the public map ↗
Is financial assistance available?
CDSS’s June 2026 update points providers to funding for testing and remediation. Check current eligibility and arrangements before commissioning work; funding or reimbursement is not automatic. CDSS: funding notice ↗, CDSS: provider grant information ↗