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THE HIGHLANDS SCHOOL

PWS ID: MD1120062 · BEL AIR, Maryland 21015

THE HIGHLANDS SCHOOL serves 125 people in BEL AIR, Maryland using Groundwater water sources. It has 69 recorded EPA violations, including 2 health-based violations. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing.

Water Quality Snapshot: THE HIGHLANDS SCHOOL

THE HIGHLANDS SCHOOL is a private-owned non-transient non-community water system that delivers drinking water to 125 residents in BEL AIR, Maryland (Harford County) through 1 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 69 total violations for this system , of which 2 (3%) are health-based — meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 66 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2022.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Lead and Copper Rule, recorded in 11 violations (MR). This system has not yet been sampled under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program, so no PFAS detection data is available here.

Across Maryland, EPA tracks 3,215 public water systems serving 6,070,211 people, with 60,496 cumulative violations and 18,132 health-based violations on record. About 80% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 18.8 violations. THE HIGHLANDS SCHOOL's 69 violations sit above the Maryland average. Statewide, 50 of 83 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (60.2%). All figures above are sourced directly from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 public data releases and are updated as EPA publishes new reporting cycles.

Population Served
125
Total Violations
69
Health-Based Violations
2
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Non-Transient Non-Community
Owner Type
Private
Connections
1
County
Harford
School/Daycare
Yes
MCL Violations
0
Monitoring Violations
66
Treatment Tech Violations
2

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Lead and Copper Rule MR 11 2022
TTHM MR 6 2021
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 6 2021
Revised Total Coliform Rule MON 4 2022
Barium MR 4 2020
Chromium MR 4 2020
Mercury MR 4 2020
Nickel MR 4 2020
Antimony, Total MR 4 2020
Selenium MR 4 2020
Beryllium, Total MR 4 2020
Cadmium MR 4 2020
Thallium, Total MR 4 2020
Nitrate MR 3 2008
Lead and Copper Rule TT 2 2020

Verify This Water System

The figures above are aggregated from EPA's public databases. To verify the underlying records — or to file a complaint, request a Consumer Confidence Report, or check current monitoring status — go directly to the federal and state regulators that enforce the Safe Drinking Water Act for THE HIGHLANDS SCHOOL.

Federal Source of Truth

EPA SDWIS — Federal Reports

EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) holds the federal compliance record for every regulated public water system. Open the system-level report by PWS ID:

View PWS ID MD1120062 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

Maryland Drinking Water Authority

Maryland's primacy agency administers the Safe Drinking Water Act locally. Search EPA SDWIS for the current state contact, or use the state's public health or environment department portal.

Find MD regulator via EPA SDWIS

Violation Timeline

Each row links to the EPA SDWIS public record for verification. Cross-reference the contaminant code on EPA's federal report to see violation dates, return-to-compliance status, and enforcement actions.

Year (latest) Contaminant Category Count EPA Record
2022 Lead and Copper Rule MR 11 SDWIS / MD1120062 / 5000
2022 Revised Total Coliform Rule MON 4 SDWIS / MD1120062 / 8000
2021 TTHM MR 6 SDWIS / MD1120062 / 2950
2021 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 6 SDWIS / MD1120062 / 2456
2020 Barium MR 4 SDWIS / MD1120062 / 1010
2020 Chromium MR 4 SDWIS / MD1120062 / 1020
2020 Mercury MR 4 SDWIS / MD1120062 / 1035
2020 Nickel MR 4 SDWIS / MD1120062 / 1036
2020 Antimony, Total MR 4 SDWIS / MD1120062 / 1074
2020 Selenium MR 4 SDWIS / MD1120062 / 1045
2020 Beryllium, Total MR 4 SDWIS / MD1120062 / 1075
2020 Cadmium MR 4 SDWIS / MD1120062 / 1015
2020 Thallium, Total MR 4 SDWIS / MD1120062 / 1085
2020 Lead and Copper Rule TT 2 SDWIS / MD1120062 / 5000
2008 Nitrate MR 3 SDWIS / MD1120062 / 1040

How THE HIGHLANDS SCHOOL Compares

Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.

Metric THE HIGHLANDS SCHOOL Maryland avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 69 18.8 SDWA compliance — any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 2 5.6 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection None 60.2% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 125 1,888 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 3,215 regulated public water systems in Maryland.

Federal MCL reference — Safe Drinking Water Act thresholds
Contaminant Federal MCL / Action Level Note
Lead 0 mg/L (Action Level: 0.015 mg/L) Lead and Copper Rule treatment technique
Arsenic 0.010 mg/L (10 ppb) Health-based MCL since 2006
Total Coliform Treatment technique (RTCR) Indicator organism, monitoring trigger
PFOA / PFOS (PFAS) 4.0 ppt each (final 2024 rule) Compliance deadline 2029
Nitrate (as N) 10 mg/L Acute health risk for infants

Frequently Asked Questions

Is THE HIGHLANDS SCHOOL water safe to drink?
THE HIGHLANDS SCHOOL (PWS ID: MD1120062) has 69 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 125 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does THE HIGHLANDS SCHOOL serve?
THE HIGHLANDS SCHOOL serves 125 people in BEL AIR, Maryland. It is a Private-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 1 service connections.
What type of violations does THE HIGHLANDS SCHOOL have?
THE HIGHLANDS SCHOOL has 69 total violations: 2 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 66 monitoring/reporting violations, and 2 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in THE HIGHLANDS SCHOOL water?
No PFAS testing data is available for THE HIGHLANDS SCHOOL under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does THE HIGHLANDS SCHOOL use?
THE HIGHLANDS SCHOOL uses Groundwater as its primary water source. It is classified as a Non-Transient Non-Community Water System, serving the same people for at least 6 months per year.
Where does this data come from?
All data comes from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and the UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program. SDWIS tracks compliance for all public water systems regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

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Data Sources: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), Q4 2025. This data is provided for informational purposes only.

Related

Data sourced from $official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainWater Editorial