Nelson McGough is an Extension Associate with the MS Water Resources Research Institute. He has a BS in Civil Engineering from Mississippi State University and has been with the institute since August 2020. His areas of focus are public water supply and wastewater treatment.

Protecting children from lead exposure plays a critical role in ensuring they develop into healthy adults. Children under the age of 6 have shown slowed growth, learning disabilities, and other physical and mental impairments after prolonged exposure to environmental lead. The SipSafe Program seeks to limit children’s exposure to lead via drinking water by screening water in qualifying schools and childcare facilities across Mississippi, as well as offering remediation assistance and educational materials on the dangers of lead.
Mississippi State Extension Service receives funding for the SipSafe Program via the EPA WIIN Grant and has implemented its 3Ts model. With assistance from the Mississippi State Department of Health, Mississippi Department of Education, Mississippi State Chemical Laboratory, and other cooperating partners, SipSafe has developed into a program that:

• Trains directors and staff at participating facilities on how to protect their children from lead exposure.
• Tests drinking water in participating facilities for lead and its sources.
• Takes action to help facilities reduce the amount of lead in their drinking water and further raise state-wide awareness of lead exposure in children.

Over the last 2 years, SipSafe has sampled and tested the drinking water in over 100 childcare facilities, across Mississippi. This presentation will discuss the unique challenges faced by the program, testing results so far, and the future of the SipSafe program.

For more information on SipSafe, visit ext.msstate.edu/sipsafe