PFAS "forever chemicals" found in water at 10 Harford County schools as students return

BALTIMORE -- The only thing that didn't go smoothly on the first day of school in Harford County was PFAS, or "forever chemicals," found in the water at 10 schools.

At five of the schools, bottled water is being provided because the water is not safe to drink.

Those schools are:

• Fallston High School
• Harford Academy
• Harford Technical High School
• Norrisville Elementary School
• Prospect Mill Elementary School

At the remaining five schools, elevated levels of PFAS have been detected but the water is still drinkable.

Those schools are:

• Churchville Elementary School
• Dublin Elementary School
• Fallston Middle School
• Forest Hill Elementary School
• Jarrettsville Elementary School

"We've always been in compliance and now we have areas where the numbers are below the new goals," Harford County Schools Superintendent Dr. Sean Bulson said. "We'll accommodate that with bottled water until we have a permanent fix."

First day of school

Harford County students returned for the first day of a new school year on Tuesday. At Joppatowne High School, students were greeted with music and chants from cheerleaders.

The welcome helped with first-day nerves for new students.

"I don't really know anybody, but I'm sure that I'll be welcomed to the school," student  Dionisi Holmes said.

Superintendent Dr. Sean Bulson was among those greeting students.

"We're fully staffed," Bulson said. "That's very exciting."

The district hired about 250 new teachers this year, many of them are HCPS grads themselves.

The back-to-school celebrations continued at Magnolia Middle School down the street.

"I love it myself, personally," parent Tishea Spriggs said. "It gives them a feeling of they are welcomed back."

Carroll and Cecil counties also welcomed students back for the first day on Tuesday.