Latest news with #lead
CBC
a day ago
- General
- CBC
'Lack of coordination' responsible for delay in notifying staff and students about lead in school water
Deputy Minister of the N.W.T. department of Education of Culture and Employment says there was a lack of coordination between his department and other departments of the Northwest Territories. The department has reported elevated levels of lead in the drinking water at two Yellowknife schools. The levels were f irst detected on Jan. 22, but parents and staff were not notified until May 27. ECE deputy minister James Fulford says that has to do with poor communication and coordination within the territorial government. "There was a lack of coordination among my department, Education Culture and Employment, and other departments within the [Government of the Northwest Territories]," he said. Fulford said there will be an independent review to determine what went wrong and how to move forward. He said it's possible there has been lead in the water since before the testing but they don't know for how long. He said he expects the review should only take a week or two and that work is underway for that review to begin. Fulford said he doesn't know how much the review will cost. As a parent with a child in one of the school, he says he recognizes parents concerns and that the department is working to rebuild trust with parents, students and staff. "[The department] places the highest priority on health and safety of students and staff in schools," Fulford said. In a rare weekend press release, the territorial government cast doubt on the water test results. It said best practices were not followed, no outside experts were consulted, and that people with knowledge of water testing within the government were not consulted.
CBC
3 days ago
- General
- CBC
N.W.T. gov't says it didn't use 'best practices' for lead testing at schools
Less than a week after parents were notified lead samples were found in two Yellowknife schools' drinking water, the N.W.T. government is saying it did not use best practices in the initial testing. In an emailed press release that was sent out late Saturday afternoon, the government said the initial water testing in schools "was not conducted using national best practices for water sampling." The government also noted it also undertook the original sampling process without in-house expertise specific to water testing. It said it didn't engage any third-party experts and didn't consult its own internal water quality experts in advance. CBC requested an interview with the department. The N.W.T. Department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) previously told CBC it initially decided to test for lead after "increased public attention to the issue," and particularly because of media coverage of testing in the Yukon being delayed. News of lead in the school drinking water broke last week after Yellowknife Education District No. 1 sent notices to parents and staff, stating lead levels in École William McDonald's drinking water were detected at 0.00903 milligrams per litre, while Range Lake School's levels were 0.025 milligrams per litre. Canada's drinking water guidelines state the maximum acceptable level is 0.005 milligrams per litre. Days after the notices were sent out, ECE said in an email that it received its initial test results for water at École William McDonald Middle School and Range Lake North School on Jan. 22. In Saturday's update, the government said "although the original intent was to complete testing quickly with available resources, the lack of expert involvement compromised the reliability of both the process and the results." The territorial government is now re-testing all school water sources where elevated lead levels were previously reported and said "results will be shared as soon as they are received – first with the schools and families, and then with the public." Review of the situation going forward A review of "how this situation unfolded" is currently underway, the government said in its emailed press release. "The GNWT acknowledges the concern this situation has caused. While the original intent of this project was to help confirm the safety of school drinking water, the issues identified in the testing process are now enabling clearer steps to ensure water quality and, if necessary, corrective action," the government wrote. In a statement issued last Wednesday, ECE Minister Caitlin Cleavland said she is "deeply concerned" about the lead levels in the school water but did not commit to making the review itself public.
CBC
4 days ago
- Health
- CBC
N.W.T. gov't says it followed protocol by doing 2nd round of lead tests instead of notifying schools earlier
Social Sharing The N.W.T government says it followed standard practice when it conducted follow-up testing for lead in the drinking water at two Yellowknife schools instead of blocking the taps off and notifying the public earlier. "Health experts raised some questions about the sample gathering methods and whether that could have affected the results," Christina Carrigan, senior communications adviser with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, wrote in an email Friday afternoon. In that email, the department said after the initial sample set was done, any result that exceeded the maximum acceptable concentration of lead under Canadian drinking water guidelines triggered a second sample to confirm the finding. The department also said the office of the chief public health officer recommended the water not be consumed as a precautionary measure. "[Education, Culture and Employment] is now conducting a formal, school-wide series of tests in these two schools to validate the preliminary findings and ensure the safety of the drinking water." Lead levels in École William McDonald's drinking water were detected at 0.00903 milligrams per litre, while Range Lake North School's levels were 0.025 milligrams per litre. Canada's drinking water guidelines state the maximum acceptable level is 0.005 milligrams per litre. Lead was first detected on Jan. 22, and the results were confirmed on April 4. Parents and staff were informed this past Tuesday. 'No safe level' of lead Dr. Anne Hicks, an associate professor of pediatric respiratory medicine at the University of Alberta, said lead in water and food is absorbed in the body the same way calcium and iron are. "So into your red cells, into your bones," she said. Hicks said it's hard to say how much lead is safe to consume, because everyone absorbs and expels it differently. "There's no safe level of lead intake, basically," she said. "The more you take into your body over time, the more likely it is that you'll have an elevated lead level." She said symptoms of high lead in the body will often emerge later, but most lead exposure is mild in Canada. One sign could be low blood iron, anemia or low red cell counts. "It can take a long time for these subtle symptoms to show up." Hicks said the levels found at both schools "are concerning" but that public health officials would best be able to identify the level of risk. "I think the most important thing would be to make sure that everybody is safe," she said. The N.W.T.'s health department told CBC it would not be doing interviews, and the chief public health officer was also not made available for an interview. Education, Culture and Employment has also declined interviews, opting to send email responses instead, and Education Minister Caitlin Cleveland has not been made available for interviews. Parents concerned Sabrina Meilleur, who has children and stepchildren at Range Lake North School, said she thought the school's infrastructure was new and she was surprised to find out there could be elevated levels of lead in the water. "I was shocked, actually," she said. She said she has peace of mind that an investigation is taking place, now that they're testing for it, but she would have liked to have known earlier. "I'm really disappointed it took so long." Yvette Cooper, another parent, said she worries about the long-term effects of lead on children. "It's wildly inappropriate," she said. "Children have been exposed to this for months. "This is a really slow response and this is a huge concern," she added. "My confidence is shaken."
CBC
27-05-2025
- General
- CBC
High levels of lead detected in water at 2 Yellowknife schools
Levels of lead that are higher than the maximum acceptable concentration have been detected in the drinking water at École William McDonald Middle School and Range Lake North School in Yellowknife. Notices sent from the school board to parents and staff on Monday said lead levels in École William McDonald's drinking water were detected at 0.00903 milligrams per litre and 0.025 milligrams per litre at Range Lake school. Canada's drinking water guidelines state the maximum acceptable level is 0.005 milligrams per litre. As a precaution, all sources of drinking and cooking water at the schools will be unavailable, the notices from Yellowknife Education District No. 1 (YK1) said. Bottled water and bulk water dispensers will be provided for students and staff. The notices said the water at the schools is safe for hand washing and cleaning. In April, N.W.T.-wide testing took place for lead in school drinking water. A sample taken from the water fountain by the elevator on the first floor of William McDonald found the lead level at 0.00903 milligrams. A sample at Range Lake from the water fountain on the main floor near the staff room showed lead levels of 0.025 milligrams. The single samples are not conclusive, the notices said. More testing needs to be completed to rule out sampling errors. The school board said the Department of Education, Culture and Employment is working with the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer to do so. The notices said the city regularly tests for lead in drinking water and that treated water from the City of Yellowknife is safe to drink. "Lead can enter drinking water when plumbing materials that contain lead corrode, especially where the water has high acidity or low mineral content that corrodes pipes and fixtures," it said. The school board said it is working to identify potential sources of exposure. "Exposure to high levels of lead over time can cause adverse health effects such as reduced cognition, increased blood pressure and renal dysfunction in adults, as well as adverse neurodevelopmental and behavioural effects in children," the notice said. More water samples will be taken in the coming weeks, including all water fountains and cold water taps where water is used for drinking and food preparation.
CBS News
24-05-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Municipal Water Authority of Aliquippa issues public notice of lead found in drinking water
On Friday evening, the Municipal Water Authority of Aliquippa issued a public notice that lead had been found in the drinking water of multiple homes. According to the authority, as required by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, they conducted lead and copper sampling at approximately 35 homes in their area and found an excess of lead at five of those homes. As a result, the MWAA is sending public education materials to the homes so they can take the proper steps. What if lead is found in the water at my home? If you get a notice from your water company that lead has been found in your home's water supply, there are steps that you can take to avoid the serious health problems that lead in water can pose to you and your children. Included in the MWAA's material being sent is the following: Run the water to flush out the lead. If the water hasn't been used for several hours, run the water for a minute or more to flush the lead from the interior plumbing or until it becomes cold prior to using it for drinking or cooking. Use cold water for cooking or preparing things like baby formula. Boiling does not remove lead, so taking water from the tap and heating it to a boil will not make a difference. Look for alternative water sources or treatment. If lead has been detected in your water, you're advised to purchase bottled water or a water filter. If you choose to purchase a filter, make sure the filter is approved to reduce lead. In 2025, MWAA completed the construction of a new water filtration plant, and it replaced the water softening plant, which was constructed in the 1940s. The new facility reduces iron and manganese concentrations in the drinking water. Residents in Aliquippa can reach out to MWAA at 724-375-5525 or visit their website at this link.
