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Is Your Child’s School Fountain Water Safe?

Many of our school children rely on fountain water during the day. Although we carefully teach our children not to put their mouths on drinking fountains, our diligence is simply not enough. Many school drinking fountains are unhealthy and dangerous.

Most of the plumbing systems in our schools are old and outdated. Older plumbing systems may transfer toxins and harmful compounds to the water they carry, right into our children’s fountains. Older plumbing systems may contain lead and other harmful metals. Damp, cool areas (like drinking fountains) are an ideal environment for bacteria growth. That dark film is not just scum, it is bacteria.

Ingestion of contaminated fountain water can cause a viral or bacterial infection, vomiting and diarrhea. Ingestion of chemically tainted water can lead to stomach distress, headaches, muscle pain and even cancer.

How can concerned parents protect their children and monitor the safety of school drinking water fountains? First, teach children to use the fountain responsibly. Remind them to keep their mouths off of the fountain, and teach them to allow the water to run for a minute or two before drinking. That way, they will be receiving water that hasn’t sat around in the pipes accumulating bacteria and traces of lead. Ask the school about their water supplier and then ask the supplier for their consumer confidence report. Test results are included in this report.

If you are deeply concerned about your child’s drinking fountain, you may want to test the water yourself. Collect a sample in a clean container and send it to a lab. If you don’t know of wan, the EPA lists several on it’s drinking water hotline.

Drinking fountain water may not be your child’s best choice for school day hydration. Make sure that the drinking water your child ingests is safe from contamination and disease.

www.nrdc.org/greensquad/library/water_drink.html
 

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