Dozens of schools affected by boil water advisory in Baltimore

Authorities on Monday issued a boil-water advisory after E. coli contaminants and total coliform were found in water samples in west Baltimore, which has impacted dozens of schools.See a larger map hereWhere to get clean waterSchools impacted by water advisoryBaltimore City Public Schools said it will provide hand sanitizer for ​staff and students to use for all handwashing. City Schools offers nearly all schools bottled water as a standard drinking and meal preparation practice.For schools in the primary impacted area of Harlem Park, staff and students will continue to use bottled water ​for drinking, and ​all meals ​will be prepared off-site. These schools include:Harlem Park Elementary/Middle SchoolBluford Drew Jemison STEM Academy WestYouth OpportunityAugusta Fells Savage Institute of Visual ArtsCareer AcademyAt schools in the secondary impacted area in west Baltimore, students may use water and hand sanitizer for handwashing. Most schools will continue to use bottled water. For schools that use filtered water, bottled water was delivered Tuesday, according to City Schools. Bottled water will continue to be used for drinking and meal preparation. These schools include:Lakeland Elementary/MiddleSandtown-Winchester Achievement AcademyMatthew A. Henson ElementaryDorothy I. Height ElementaryRosemont Elementary/MiddleMount Royal Elementary/MiddleKatherine Johnson Global AcademyFranklin Square Elementary/MiddleThe Historic Samuel Coleridge-Taylor ElementaryBay-Brook Elementary/MiddleFurman Templeton Preparatory AcademyBooker T. Washington MiddleRobert W. Coleman ElementaryBillie Holiday ElementaryMary Ann Winterling Elementary at BentalouBelmont ElementaryMorrell Park Elementary/MiddleVioletville Elementary/MiddleFrederick ElementaryEmpowerment AcademyWilliam S. Baer SchoolMidtown AcademyNew Song AcademyJoseph Briscoe AcademyGreen Street AcademyVivien T. Thomas Medical Arts AcademyCoppin AcademyRenaissance AcademyFrederick Douglass HighCarver Vocational-Technical HighBaltimore County Public Schools provides bottled water to students and staff at schools in the area, and meals for those students will be prepared in facilities that are not covered by the boil water advisory.Baltimore County Public Schools posted a statement on its website, saying: “Baltimore County Emergency Management is reporting that the area of concern for potential E. coli in Baltimore City water supply impacted by the boil water advisory includes the southwest area of Baltimore County. Southwest area schools and offices have been notified. The Department of Facilities Management will ensure adequate bottled water and hand sanitizer is available in all southwest area schools.”Southwest area schools in Baltimore County include:Arbutus Elementary SchoolArbutus Middle SchoolBaltimore Highland Elementary SchoolCatonsville adminCatonsville alternativeCatonsville Elementary SchoolCatonsville Middle SchoolCatonsville High SchoolChadwick Elementary SchoolDogwood Elementary SchoolEdmondson Heights Elementary SchoolFeatherbed Lane Elementary SchoolHalethorpe Elementary SchoolHebbville Elementary SchoolHillcrest Elementary SchoolJohnnycake Elementary SchoolLansdowne Elementary SchoolLansdowne Middle SchoolLansdowne High SchoolMaiden Choice Elementary SchoolMeadowood Education CenterPowhatan Elementary SchoolRelay Elementary SchoolSouthwest AcademyWestchester Elementary SchoolWestern TechWestowne Elementary SchoolWindsor Mill Middle SchoolWinfield Elementary SchoolWoodbridge Elementary SchoolWoodlawn Middle SchoolWoodlawn High SchoolWoodmoor Elementary SchoolWhat is E. coli and total coliform?According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, E. coli bacteria can be found in the environment, foods and intestines of people and animals. Although most strains of are harmless, others can make you sick.Some kinds of the bacteria can cause diarrhea, while others cause urinary tract infections, respiratory illness and pneumonia and other illnesses, the CDC said.The CDC defines total coliform as a group containing fecal and nonfecal coliforms that are detected in water using a standard test. The extent to which total coliforms are present in water can indicate the general quality of that water and the likelihood that the water is contaminated fecally by animal and/or human sources.