In an effort to show transparency, teachers at a high school in Bagnolet, a suburb of Paris, recorded the time and date of an experiment on Monday, September 28, 2026, at 8:16 a.m. They opened the tap in the visual arts room and filled a one-and-a-half-liter transparent plastic bottle with water that appeared yellow and had a brown tint. This act was part of an ongoing investigation into the quality of water supplied to the school. The issue began when students and staff at the school unknowingly drank contaminated water for several months. The Seine-Saint-Denis department, which oversees the area, received test results in February 2026 indicating that the water was "not suitable for consumption." Despite these findings, the department delayed taking action, leading to prolonged exposure to unsafe water. Educational staff had raised concerns about the water's color, describing it as "brown," as early as February 2026. However, their warnings did not lead to immediate intervention. The delay in addressing the problem has sparked criticism and calls for accountability. The department has since acknowledged "failures" and a "delay" in responding to the issue. The teachers' experiment aimed to highlight the ongoing problem and serve as a reminder of the need for swift action in such situations. The incident has brought attention to the importance of water safety in educational institutions and the responsibility of local authorities to act promptly on health concerns.