Returning to School? Keep the Water Moving
There are many questions to ask about re-opening schools for students after the pandemic shutdown. How to restore water quality should be one of them.
What happened to the water when schools were shut down? How do we ensure the water in the pipes is safe water before kids go back? What can we do to maintain water quality if schools remain closed? I gave a webinar presentation for the Collaborative on Health and the Environment that covers the water quality risks, flushing practices schools should use for different re-opening plans, and questions parents can ask before sending kids back to school buildings. You can download the slides here. Another helpful resource is this NRDC blog post that covers best practices in a handy article.
To boil it down to the most important part:
Schools are grappling with unprecedented decisions. on so many critical issues right now.
If water maintenance has not been happening during the shutdown that is completely understandable. The important step now as schools are reopening is to clearly communicate to staff and families:
Bring your own drinking water (or provide bottled water)
Don’t drink the water in the school until the school says its okay
Wash your hands
If water maintenance has been ongoing during the shutdown, still communicate to staff and families:
Describe what the school has been doing to maintain water quality
Use (designated outlets/bottle fillers) for drinking water at school
Feel free to bring your own water
Wash your hands
