Maine's schools will have new safeguards to protect children from drinking water that's contaminated with lead.
Democratic Gov. Janet Mills signed a bill into law on Tuesday that's designed to improve the lead testing in schools. Only schools on well water are currently required to test for lead contamination in drinking and cooking water, but Democratic Sen. Rebecca Millett's bill would change that.
Millett, of Cape Elizabeth, proposed that all schools be required to do the tests to the extent that the state can provide money and help for the testing. The proposal won bipartisan support in the Maine Legislature.
Exposure to lead is dangerous to children. They can suffer damage to the brain and impaired growth as a result of such exposure.