Delaware School Drinking Water Guide
Delaware schools have posted lead-sampling resources, and the water suppliers serving them follow federal sampling rules. Here's how the pieces fit together.
Short answer: DDOE maintains Safe School Drinking Water resources and posts sampling results where available. Separately, the public water supplier serving a school must follow federal Lead and Copper Rule sampling requirements. Schools also benefit from facility-directed practices like fixture inventories and sampling plans, which are good practice even where not separately mandated.
What Delaware agency handles this
- DDOE (Delaware Department of Education): Safe School Drinking Water resources, posted results, and facility guidance.
- Water supplier: federal Lead and Copper Rule sampling obligations for the system serving the school.
- School facilities staff: fixture inventories, sampling plans, communication, and corrective action.
Step-by-step for a school facilities team
- Review DDOE's Safe School Drinking Water resources for current guidance.
- Coordinate with your water supplier to understand their sampling obligations and results relevant to your building.
- Build a fixture inventory (see Fixture Inventory).
- Use a certified laboratory for any facility-directed sampling.
- Communicate results to staff and families as appropriate.
- Remove outlets from service when warranted, and track corrective action and retesting.
- Maintain bottle fillers and drinking fountains on an ongoing schedule.
Common mistakes
- Assuming every Delaware school tests on the same recurring schedule
- Confusing facility-directed sampling with the water supplier's federal obligations
- Skipping retesting after an outlet or plumbing change
Official sources
- DDOE Facilities and Operations / Safe School Drinking Water
- U.S. EPA Lead and Copper Rule
- U.S. EPA 3Ts for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water in Schools
Child-care guidance
Child-care centers and family child-care homes in Delaware follow current Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) regulations, which are separate from DDOE school requirements. Before publishing or acting on any claim, verify: the current OCCL regulation, whether a water-source requirement applies, any well-testing requirement, whether the facility itself qualifies as a public water system if it has its own well and serves enough people, and any food-service requirements if meals are prepared on site.
Distinguish between facility types, since requirements can differ:
- Family child-care home
- Large family child-care home
- Child-care center
- School-based program
- A facility that is itself a regulated public water system
Do not assume a school rule applies automatically to a child-care home or center — always verify current OCCL regulations for the specific facility type.
Related
Do all Delaware schools test for lead on the same schedule?
Do not assume so. This site does not claim a uniform recurring state schedule unless it can be verified against current DDOE guidance immediately before publication.
This page provides general educational information and is not legal or regulatory advice. Verify current DDOE and OCCL requirements before relying on this content.
Last reviewed: 2026-07-11. Report a correction.