The Water Our Children Drink: PFAS in School Plumbing Systems
American children spend approximately 6 to 8 hours per day at school—drinking from water fountains, consuming cafeteria meals prepared with tap water, and using water in science labs, art rooms, and athletic facilities. If school water systems contain PFAS, children receive exposures precisely during the developmental windows when brain development, immune system maturation, and hormonal system establishment are most vulnerable to chemical disruption. Yet until recently, systematic PFAS testing of school water systems was rare—leaving millions of children drinking water of unknown PFAS quality.
The School Water Testing Gap
Public water systems serving schools are regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act and must comply with any maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) established by EPA, including the 2024 PFAS MCLs. However, schools served by private wells—approximately 7% of U.S. schools—face no federal PFAS testing requirements. Schools in rural areas, smaller communities, and jurisdictions with limited regulatory oversight capacity may not have up-to-date PFAS testing records even for public water connections, as monitoring frequency under current SDWA rules may be insufficient to detect changes in source water quality.
Beyond source water quality, school plumbing infrastructure itself can be a PFAS source. Older school buildings may have PFAS-containing plumbing components including pipe joint compounds, gaskets, and fittings that leach PFAS into water during periods of low flow or stagnation overnight and on weekends. PFAS-treated kitchen surfaces in school cafeterias and PFAS-containing food service materials represent additional exposure pathways that compound water exposure risks.
State Programs and School Testing Initiatives
Several states have implemented mandatory PFAS testing programs for schools. Massachusetts requires PFAS testing for all school water sources with more than 25 users, providing one of the most comprehensive school water quality datasets in the nation. Vermont, New Hampshire, and Michigan have similar school water testing requirements. Testing results from these state programs have revealed that a meaningful fraction of schools—particularly older schools in communities with legacy industrial or military PFAS sources—have detectable PFAS in drinking water above health-based thresholds.
The EPA has provided technical guidance and some funding through state revolving funds for school water system PFAS testing and remediation. Point-of-use (POU) filters installed on water fountains and kitchen faucets represent the fastest and most cost-effective interim protective measure while schools assess longer-term remediation options. Certified NSF/ANSI 58 (reverse osmosis) and NSF/ANSI 53 (activated carbon, for certain PFAS compounds) filters provide reliable PFAS removal when properly installed and maintained with regular cartridge replacement.
Parent and Administrator Action Steps
School administrators can take several concrete steps to address PFAS concerns proactively. First, request PFAS testing results from the school’s water utility or conduct independent testing if the school uses a private well. Second, review the school’s plumbing maintenance history for PFAS-containing materials. Third, consult with the state drinking water program about applicable testing requirements and any remediation assistance programs. For parents, state drinking water program websites typically publish public water system testing results, and organizations like the Environmental Working Group provide searchable databases of utility PFAS test results. When PFAS is detected, POU filters certified for PFAS removal provide immediate protection while longer-term solutions are implemented.