Lead Prevention

Housatonic Valley Health District strives to prevent lead poisoning and promote wellness through education. Through this mission, HVHD enforces the State of Connecticut Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Regulations. 

In 1992, Congress included the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act, commonly called Title X. HUD developed guidelines on risk assessments, inspections, interim controls and abatement of lead-based paint hazards. Since September 1996, all buyers of pre-1978 housing must be given a warning and up to 10 days to get a lead hazard inspection of assessment. The sales contract must disclose the presence of known lead-based paint. Since September 1996, landlords must disclose the presence of known lead-based paint hazards to prospective lessors of pre-1978 housing.

Our public health nurse and sanitarians initiate an investigation to determine how and why the individual is being lead poisoned. The following two blood lead testing results trigger environmental case management at the local health department level:

1. A venous test result of 20 µg/dL of blood or greater or
2. Two venous tests taken at least three months apart with results between 15 and 19 µg/dL of blood.