Media Backgrounder

August 31, 2007

SAFE DRINKING WATER IN SCHOOLS

 

Why is the government testing for lead in schools?

The government takes the protection of drinking water seriously.  While the risks of lead in drinking water are minimal, there is reason for extra caution when it comes to children.  Younger children are still developing and are therefore more sensitive to the neurological and blood effects of lead. As well, children in general absorb lead more easily than adults. Ontario drinking water is among the safest in the world.  This testing is making it safer.

What is the government doing if it finds elevated lead levels in schools?

If a school’s drinking water test shows that there is more than 10 micrograms per litre of lead, the local Medical Officer of Health works with the school to find ways to reduce lead levels in the water, and monitors the safety of the water. These local processes are already in place and are working well. The government has also provided funding for schools to install special lead filters on taps, and to provide alternate drinking water sources, such as coolers.

How can I find out results for my child’s school?

You can call your local school or school board to find out about a particular school’s results.

Does Ontario have a drinking-water quality standard for lead?

Yes. The Ontario drinking water quality standard for lead is 10 micrograms per litre, which is based on a national guideline. The drinking water regulatory limit is based on a prudent (more protective) estimate that takes children’s health into consideration..

How are people exposed to lead?

Lead is a naturally occurring substance present in our soil, food and air.  Lead has many industrial uses and has been used in water systems since the late 1800s. While lead can leach into drinking water from lead service lines and plumbing, the bulk of human exposure is from other sources. 

Over the past few decades, exposure to lead has significantly decreased due to restrictions in the use of lead in gasoline, paint and solder.  Lead additives in gasoline were completely eliminated in the early 1990s.  Lead in paint was banned in the mid 1970s. Lead in solder used for tin cans and drinking water pipes was reduced or eliminated by the mid to late 1980s.

How does lead get into drinking water?

Ontario’s surface and groundwater generally does not contain lead, or if it occurs, the concentrations are extremely low. Lead above Ontario’s standard in drinking water likely originates from the lead pipes servicing the premises or solder or fixtures containing high percentages of lead in the plumbing.

Potential sources of lead can include water-mains, service lines and lead-containing components in plumbing (pipes, solder, and fixtures). Lead pipe service connections have been used to deliver water from the distribution pipes since the late 1800s. Older buildings (generally those built before the mid-1950s) are more likely to have lead connections. By 1990, the amount of lead in solder that could be used in drinking water plumbing was substantially reduced.

The amount of lead leaching into drinking water from these components depends largely on how corrosive the water is. In buildings where the plumbing contains lead and the water is corrosive, extended contact between standing water and the components can cause the lead to be released from the pipes. When the tap is turned on, water that has been standing in the pipes may have accumulated lead levels higher than Ontario’s standard.

How does lead in water affect health?

Young children are more sensitive to the effects of lead because they are still developing and able to absorb ingested lead more easily than adults.  Long-term exposure to lead above the standards may increase the risk of subtle impairment of learning capacity and intellectual development. 

How can I get my water tested in my home?

If you suspect that you may have lead materials in your service lines or lead in your plumbing and you wish to have your tap water tested, your municipality may have a program to test consumers’ water for lead.  Alternatively, you could get your water tested by one of Ontario’s licensed laboratories. Go to the Ministry of the Environment website: http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/en/water/tapwater/index.php  to view a list of provincially-licensed labs and an interactive map with contact information for municipalities.

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