RALEIGH, N.C. (WRAL) – North Carolina will get $619,000 to test for lead in drinking water at schools and child care facilities, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Thursday.

With the Biden administration, the EPA announced $26 million in funding to be distributed to 55 states and territories and the District of Columbia. North Carolina’s allotment is $619,000.

The money will pay for training, testing and actions needed to reduce lead in drinking water.

There is no safe level of lead exposure, according to the EPA. In children, lead can severely harm mental and physical development, slowing down learning, and irreversibly damaging the brain. In adults, lead can cause increased blood pressure, heart disease, decreased kidney function and cancer.

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