School Drinking Fountains: Is the Water Safe for Kids?

(WIB) – In Harford County, Maryland, students are bringing water bottles to school — and not just because they want to stay extra hydrated. At the end of August, 10 campuses in Harford County Public Schools shut down their drinking water systems after tests revealed alarming levels of toxic “forever chemicals” in their wells.But a lack of clean water at schools isn’t just a problem in Harford County, a semi-rural area about 30 miles northeast of Baltimore. From Flint, Michigan, to Jackson, Mississippi, school systems in communities across America — particularly those serving low-income and minority students — are grappling with contaminated water. The crisis in Maryland started last Wednesday when officials with Harford County Public Schools reported high levels of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in at least 10 schools’ water systems. The culprit? Wells with PFAS levels up to 25 times higher than the Environmental Protection Agency’s new limit of 4 parts per trillion.“PFAS are a family of man-made toxic forever chemicals that are in the blood of nearly 99% of Americans,” Jared Hayes, a senior policy analyst at Environmental Working Group told local station WMAR.” They were first developed back in the 40’s and 50’s and have...