Water contaminated with PFAS at 10 Harford County schools
By Tolly Taylor
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BEL AIR, Maryland (WBAL) — The number of Harford County Public Schools where the drinking water is contaminated with toxic “forever chemicals” has grown, 11 News Investigates has learned.
WBAL-TV 11 News Investigates first reported on Wednesday about high levels of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) at Fallston and Harford Technical high schools.
Sydney Evans, a senior science analyst at the Environmental Working Group, told 11 News Investigates that the PFAS levels at those two schools were “deeply alarming,” adding that “hundreds of students were unknowingly exposed to these toxic ‘forever chemicals’ in their drinking water.”
New details learned Tuesday by 11 News Investigates revealed three other schools were also warned not to drink the water. PFAS levels in wells were found to range from six to 25 times higher than the Environmental Protection Agency’s new limit of 4 parts per trillion (PPT). All five schools include:
Fallston High School (25 times higher than the EPA’s new limit) Harford Academy (20 times higher) Harford Technical High School (six times higher) Norrisville Elementary School (13 times higher) Prospect Mill Elementary School (nine times higher) Before April, there had been no legal limit on PFAS, only guidance from the EPA of 70 PPT of PFAS in drinking water. Then, in April, the EPA finalized a new legally enforceable level, lowering the maximum for two types of PFAS to 4 PPT. Public water systems have until 2027 to come into compliance with that new limit, monitor water and make PFAS levels public.
WBAL-TV 11 News has learned that five additional Harford County schools have contaminated water, but at lower levels. PFAS levels were detected above 4 PPT but below 10 PPT. A district spokeswoman said families at the second list of five schools were also notified last week, they include:
Churchville Elementary School Dublin Elementary School Fallston Middle School Forest Hill Elementary School Jarrettsville Elementary School The EPA states that “PFAS exposure over a long period of time can cause cancer and other serious illnesses that decrease quality of life or result in death.”
Evans said many water utilities across Maryland and the country are just starting to test for PFAS, such the scope of the problem remains unknown.
“It’s not necessarily that the problem is getting worse. It may be this contamination might have been there all along, it was just being missed, which is why EWG has been on this issue for so long,” Evans told 11 News Investigates. “Even at those low, low concentrations, it still has the possibility to impact people’s health over time.”
HCPS said it will provide bottled water at the first five schools where drinking the water is prohibited, and families were notified last week. Those school communities were advised not to consume the water, encouraged to bring refillable water bottles to school and told that “corrective action may be a lengthy and costly process.”
The first day of school in Harford County is Sept. 3.
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