Ensuring the well-being of students and staff members means supplying safe, clean water. City Schools is committed to providing healthy water in our buildings.
City Schools regularly samples and monitors water quality at its schools and offices with consumable water outlets as required by Maryland law to confirm the water is safe to drink. In other buildings, City Schools' provides bottled water for drinking and cooking.
This page contains a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section, updates about our safe water efforts, and information about what you can expect in City Schools' buildings.
To learn more about the condition of our facilities, visit our Buildings webpage.
Lead testing
City Schools regularly samples and monitors water quality at schools and offices to follow local, state, and federal safety laws and ensure safe-to-drink water for students and staff.
Maryland law requires public and non-public schools that receive drinking water from a public utility to sample for the presence of lead every three years. This testing is performed by a state-certified laboratory and coordinated by the Maryland Department of the Environment in consultation with the Maryland Department of Education.
If we find elevated lead levels in a sink or water fountain, we temporarily shut it off as a precaution and post “DO NOT USE” and “DO NOT DRINK” signage. We provide students and staff with bottled water during this period. The water is still safe to use for handwashing, bathing for student-athletes, and other non-consumable purposes. Parents and/or guardians of students at the school will receive a letter notifying them of the elevated test result.
More information can be found in the FAQ below.