By: Kirsten Thomas

Students at Bellbrook High School have been concerned about the water quality in fountains at the school. For weeks, the filters have been on “red status.” Having questionable access to purified water has been a concern for students and staff members alike in recent weeks. 

Students who drink the water report that it “has an iron-y taste,” and one student said, “It hurts my throat.” Because the BHS maintenance department has been so short-staffed, changing the filters has fallen to the bottom of their priority list. Senior Grace Krane, a health conscious student, stopped drinking the water at the high school because of her concerns about its quality and safety. 

“In reality, the filters primarily filter the hard water that is in the high school,” said school principal Mr. Hann. Most of the water fountains do not even have filters in them. “The red light, though annoying, does not mean that the water is ‘unsafe’ or not drinkable. Without functioning filters, it’s no different than tap water.” During his interview, Mr. Hann said that maintenance had been notified that the water filters needed to be changed. By Thursday, October 27, all the old filters had been replaced. 

Although Greene County’s Water Quality Report for 2022 indicates that toxin levels in the county are generally below the threshold requiring corrective action, the report emphasized any exposure to harmful substances can be a danger to health. Contaminants come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and having a properly functioning water filtration system is an important part of maintaining healthy water.  Used past a certain point, filters lose their ability to trap contaminants effectively.