(1) Hot and cold running water must be directly plumbed to the school-age premises.

(2) A licensee for a program that does not operate on public or private school premises must use a Washington state certified water laboratory accredited by the department of ecology to test the program water supply for lead and copper.

(a) All fixtures used to obtain water for preparing food, drinking, or cooking must be tested prior to licensing approval and at least once every six years;

(b) Testing must be done pursuant to the current EPA standards; and

(c) A copy of the water testing results must be kept on the licensed premises or in the program's administrative office.

(3) If the test results are at or above the current EPA lead action level, a school-age provider must do the following within twenty-four hours:

(a) Consult with the DOH for technical assistance;

(b) Close the school-age program to prevent children from using or consuming water or supply bottled or packaged water to meet the requirements of this chapter;

(c) Notify all parents and guardians of enrolled children of the test results;

(d) Notify the department of the water test results and steps taken to protect the enrolled children; and

(e) Notify the department once lead and copper levels are below the current EPA action level.

(4) If a school-age program space receives water from a private well, the well must comply with chapter 173-160 WAC, Minimum standards for construction and maintenance of wells.

(a) Well water must be tested at least once every twelve months for E. coli bacteria and nitrates by a Washington state certified laboratory accredited by the department of ecology to analyze drinking water. To achieve desirable results the test must indicate:

(i) No presence of E. coli bacteria; and

(ii) The presence of less than ten parts per million (ppm) for nitrates. If test results for nitrates are greater than five but less than ten ppm, the water must be retested within six months.

(b) If well water tests positive for E. coli bacteria, or greater than ten ppm for nitrates, the provider must:

(i) Stop using the well water in the school-age program premises within twenty-four hours;

(ii) Inform the local health jurisdiction, the DOH, and the department of the positive test results; and

(iii) If directed to do so by the department, discontinue school-age program operations until repairs are made to the water system and water tests indicate desirable results pursuant to (a) of this subsection.

(c) If the department determines that school-age program operations may continue while an unsafe water system is being repaired or while the provider installs treatment, the provider must:

(i) Provide an alternate source of water, approved by the department; and

(ii) Retest until water tests indicate desirable results pursuant to (a) of this subsection.

(5) A school-age provider must notify the department within four hours of when the water connection to a school-age program space is interrupted for more than one hour or the water source becomes contaminated.

(a) The department may require the school-age provider to temporarily close until the water connection is restored or the water source is no longer contaminated; or

(b) The school-age provider must obtain an alternative source of potable water such as bottled or packaged water. The amount of the alternative source of potable water must be sufficient to ensure compliance with the requirements of this chapter for safe drinking water, handwashing, sanitizing, dishwashing, and cooking.