From heavy rainstorms and plumbing leaks to hidden condensation and excess humidity, water can be a serious pain point for campus facility managers. Water damage doesn't just come with costly repairs; it also can take away time spent in the classroom and cause harm to students and staff if it goes unnoticed.
Water-related issues can be challenging and costly to address once the damage is done. With a few proactive measures, education facilities managers can learn about signs of a water leak early on and ways to prevent damage to campus facilities.
When Your Building Structure Fails
At one high school in Sandy Spring, Maryland, a sprinkler malfunctioned and caused flooding and damage to at least 12 classrooms. The damage canceled classes for two days and prevented extracurricular activities, specifically vital pom squad practice three days before a competition. The cleanup after the flooding was a costly endeavor, and the water creates a higher level of mold danger risk, which was already being investigated as an issue at the school.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, exposure to building dampness and mold has been linked to respiratory symptoms, asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, rhinosinusitis, bronchitis, and respiratory infections.
In a widely cited study, a California school district turned to local investigative reporters to find out why their students and staff were so sick. It turns out toxic mold was lurking behind the walls, in the ceilings, and the carpet — the culprit? High moisture levels. The investigation found in California, there are no laws requiring schools to conduct routine mold-testing, although the state does require schools to keep their classrooms in "good repair." The study linked the mold spores to allergies and asthma, noting the number one cause of chronic school absence as asthma, with as many as 3 million collective missed school days a year.
The Dangers of Condensation Caused by High Humidity Levels
School buildings with high humidity levels have extra water in the air that can facilitate the growth of mold, fungus, and dust mites, which can be harmful to the health of students and teachers. In addition, high humidity levels can damage building materials if condensation forms inside the ceilings, walls, and windows.
To prevent water damage and the growth of mold and fungus, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends using air conditioners and dehumidifiers to control humidity levels and dampness. In addition, adequate ventilation can help maintain indoor humidity levels between 30 and 60%. Also, whenever cooking, dishwashing, and cleaning in foodservice areas, it's paramount to use an exhaust fan.
Knowing the Signs of Moisture, Leaks, and Mold
The EPA recommends proactively inspecting buildings for signs of mold, moisture, leaks, and spills. An inspection checklist may include:
- Checking for moldy odors
- Identifying water stains or discoloration on the ceiling, walls, floors, and windowsills
- Looking in bathrooms, including around and under sinks, for standing water, water stains, or mold
- Precluding water to stand in air conditioning units or refrigerator drip pans
How to Stop Leaks and Floods with Smart, Automated Monitoring Technology
While some water leaks are obvious with water pouring down walls, leaks caused by high humidity levels can lead to moisture issues going unnoticed for an extended period of time. Facility managers can continuously monitor for the presence of water across their school campus with devices like a OneVue Sense® Temperature and Humidity monitoring solution, which issues audible and visual alarms when out-of-range conditions are detected and immediately alerts the appropriate person via email, text, or phone call. Another option is the OneVue Sense Water Leak monitoring solution, which provides real-time alerts of any signs of unwanted moisture. The networked detectors can send alarms through text, email, or phone, as well as sound a local alert for anyone in or near the impacted area. Backed by the OneVue® Software platform, all monitoring solutions provide comprehensive monitoring reports that can be quickly and easily generated from any desktop or mobile device with internet access.
With OneVue Sense solutions in place, education facility mangers can be made aware of moisture, which can be particularly critical for difficult-to-monitor places before the issue compounds into a significant problem.
With the health and safety of all students, teachers, and staff top of mind for facility managers, schools should implement preventative measures to detect and flag any potential water leaks or dampness.
For more information about how you can help strengthen your school's moisture and water leak detection, contact us today.
This article was originally written in 2020. It has been updated with current content in April 2026.
