The Office of the Chief Public Health Officer just announced that following the replacement of all water outlets at one Yellowknife area school, some drinking water outlets are still showing elevated levels of lead. Another Yellowknife school which also saw the replacement of its water outlet fixtures and fountains, is now in the clear, with drinking water quality testing within Health Canada guidelines.
Findings of elevated lead levels in Yellowknife area schools were first made public in May.
The most recent follow-up re testing at École William McDonald Middle School found that some fixtures at the school still have elevated lead levels, according to the report released today. The finding comes after all drinking water fountains and food preparation fixtures were recently replaced and filters installed on all drinking and kitchen fixtures. A Health Order remains in place at the school.
Officials reported that plans remain ongoing to ensure that the drinking water is safe and some fixtures will also need to be flushed regularly.
True North FM reached out to the school drinking water working group for more information and will share those details when they become available.
At Range Lake North School, lead levels in drinking water no longer exceed Health Canada guidelines, according to the report issued today by the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer. The Health Order put in place in May has been lifted.
Officials reported that fountains and fixtures used for drinking water and food preparation have been replaced, and follow-up testing has confirmed overall water quality.
Office of the Chief Public Health Officer added that operating procedures are being developed for ongoing maintenance to help ensure the water remains safe for drinking over time. Maintenance will include filter replacement and routine re-testing.
A Health Order also remains in place at N.J. Macpherson School where fixture replacements have been ordered and are expected to arrive in mid-to-late September. Installation of these replacement parts is scheduled to begin soon after.
In the announcement issued today, the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer said that the territory-wide testing of school drinking water will begin “as soon as possible.”
Officials said they plan to use a “priority-based approach” guided by national best practices and advice from NWT’s Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Kami Kandola.
The approach is modeled after the one used for N.J. Macpherson School and prioritizes factors such as the age of the facility, existing water quality data, age of the student population and results from initial random sampling.
A detailed testing protocol was finalized and will be reviewed by the NWT’s Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Kami Kandola, before broader testing begins.
Officials said that once approved, the full details of the new protocol will be shared.
