Availability of potable water in schools, especially in rural areas, is a major problem. Students of many schools have no other option but to drink water having bacteriological contamination and high fluoride content. The health authorities collected 74 water samples from various government schools of the district between January and May this year. Test reports had been received in 69 cases so far and 23 samples (33 per cent) had failed the test. The results in case of the remaining five samples were still awaited. The water samples are tested at the State Public Health Laboratory, Chandigarh. Out of the 23 failed water samples, five had high fluoride content. These samples were collected from government schools at Bhasaur village (three samples), Beer Kalan village and Jain Patti village. The remaining 18 samples failed the test due to bacteriological contamination. The schools from where these samples were taken are situated at Dehlij Kalan, Dehlij Khurd, Fatehgarh, Gandhuan, Sikendarpura, Badshahpur, Khillrian, Mallumajra, Wazidgarh, Matoi, Dalman, Natt, Buraj Sedha, Bhudan, Kherri Jattan, Ubhiya villages and Sangrur city. The authorities had also collected water samples from eight private schools in the district. Test reports ad been received in case of four schools. Samples taken from two of them had failed the test. Results of remaining four samples were still awaited. Private schools situated at Chathe Sekhwan village and Wazidgarh village had failed the test due to bacteriological contamination. A Health Department official said they had written letters to the heads of the schools to initiate steps to improve the quality of drinking water in their respective institutions. In cases of bacteriological contamination, heads of the schools concerned had been advised to dig deeper bores for submersible pumps. They had also been told to chlorinate the water. In the case of high fluoride content, the school heads had been asked to close the water source and arrange some alternative source of water, he added.