The list of schools undergoing testing of drinking water for elevated levels of lead is limited to just 20 facilities as a representative sample of facilities built prior to 1986.

It is not an exhaustive list inclusive of all such buildings. The list was compiled by the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services based on information provided by the school system.

Limits also were placed on the number of schools included in the testing because the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) does not have the resources to test more than one school from the county each day, requiring a schedule that extends into late April.

The water testing involves significant analysis, consistent with the guidelines from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The process includes water samples from every water source in a tested facility, including sinks and water fountains and bubblers. At Maryvale Elementary, for example, samples were taken from nearly 80 sources.