# Benedictine School, MD — Drinking Water Quality (2024)

> Contaminant levels for the Benedictine School, MD public water system from its 2024 Consumer Confidence Report, compared to federal limits.

- Page: https://www.thewatermap.com/water/md/benedictine-school/2024
- JSON API: https://www.thewatermap.com/api/water/md/benedictine-school/2024
- Source: the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR)
- Verification: transcribed by a model, cross-checked by a second model, approved before publishing
- Reporting year: 2024
- Contaminants measured: 12
- Contaminants with a federal limit: 11
- Contaminants at or above the federal limit: 0
- Part of The Water Map — https://www.thewatermap.com

## Contaminants measured

| Contaminant | Category | Measured level | Sampling context | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorine | Disinfectants | 1.2 mg/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 4 mg/L (MRDLG) | Within the limit |
| TTHM | Disinfection byproducts | 1.1 ug/L (Reported level) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Fluoride | Inorganic chemicals | 1.77 mg/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 4 mg/L (MCLG) | Within the limit |
| Nitrate | Inorganic chemicals | 3.74 mg/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 10 mg/L (MCLG) | Within the limit |
| Arsenic | Metals | 0.0021 mg/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 0 mg/L (MCLG) | Detected — no federal limit |
| Barium | Metals | 0.34 mg/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 2 mg/L (MCLG) | Within the limit |
| Chromium, Total | Metals | Not detected ug/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 0.007 ug/L (MCLG) | None detected |
| Copper | Metals | 0.4441 mg/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 1.3 mg/L (MCLG) | Within the limit |
| Lead | Metals | 0.001 ug/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 0 ug/L (MCLG) | Detected — no federal limit |
| Escherichia coli (E. coli) | Microbial | Not detected (Reported level) | System-wide | 0 (MCL) | None detected |
| Total Coliform | Microbial | Not detected (Reported level) | System-wide | 0 (MCL) | None detected |
| Gross Beta Particle Activity | Radionuclides | 5 pCi/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 0 pCi/L (MCLG) | Detected — no federal limit |

## What these contaminants are

- **Chlorine** — A disinfectant added to drinking water to kill bacteria and viruses. Effective and necessary, but high residual levels can cause taste and odor issues; the EPA caps the residual disinfectant level.
- **TTHM** — Total trihalomethanes — a group of four chemicals (including chloroform) formed when chlorine reacts with natural organic matter. Long-term exposure above the federal limit is linked to liver, kidney, and central-nervous-system effects and increased cancer risk.
- **Fluoride** — A mineral often added to drinking water to help prevent tooth decay. Beneficial at low levels, but long-term exposure above the federal limit can cause bone disease and tooth mottling.
- **Nitrate** — A compound from fertilizer runoff, septic systems, and erosion of natural deposits. Levels above the federal limit can cause 'blue baby syndrome,' a serious oxygen-transport condition in infants.
- **Arsenic** — A naturally occurring element that also enters water from industry and agriculture. A known human carcinogen; long-term exposure is linked to skin, bladder, and lung cancer.
- **Barium** — A metal from erosion of natural deposits and industrial discharge. Long-term exposure above the federal limit can raise blood pressure.
- **Chromium, Total** — Total chromium — the sum of all chromium forms, from natural deposits and industrial discharge. Long-term exposure above the federal limit can cause allergic dermatitis; includes hexavalent chromium.
- **Copper** — A metal that enters water from corroding household plumbing. Short-term exposure causes stomach distress; long-term exposure can damage the liver and kidneys.
- **Lead** — A toxic metal that leaches into water from old service lines, solder, and plumbing fixtures. There is no safe level of lead; it harms brain development in children and raises blood pressure in adults. The EPA sets an action level, not a health goal above zero.
- **Escherichia coli (E. coli)** — Escherichia coli — bacteria found in the gut of humans and animals. Its presence in drinking water indicates fecal contamination and a real risk of waterborne illness.
- **Total Coliform** — A group of bacteria used as an indicator of overall water-system sanitation. Coliforms themselves are usually harmless, but their presence signals that disease-causing organisms could enter the system.
- **Gross Beta Particle Activity** — Gross beta particle activity — a combined measure of beta-emitting radioactive substances. Long-term exposure above the federal screening level increases cancer risk.

## How to read this

- A water-quality report covers an entire service area, not a single address.
- 'Federal limit' is the EPA standard (MCL, action level, treatment technique, etc.) that the measured level is compared against.
- 'At or above the federal limit' means the utility's own reported figure met or exceeded that standard.

_Figures are the utility's own published numbers. Generated 2026-05-25 from thewatermap.com._