Seven Prince George schools have lead levels higher than what the Canadian Drinking Water Quality Guidelines deems safe.
School District 57 tested the water in all active and closed schools, as well as the Central Administration building, between May 18 and June 9,2016. The results were released today.
The affected schools are:
- Edgewood Elementary
- Foothills Elementary
- Heritage Elementary
- Kool Kats Daycare
- Nukko Lake Elementary
- Nusdeh Yoh Elementary
- Pineview Elementary
The details of the testing have not been made public.
Daily flushing of the schools’ water systems will address the high concentrations of lead, according to the consultant’s report, and the school district plans to follow Northern Health’s guidelines on daily water flushing.
“When that water sits there, it will leach lead out of the the old piping,” says Dr. Raina Fumerton with Northern Health. “Flushing is a really simple and very effective way of flushing that old water out and getting freshwater in. It’s a very effective way of getting rid of the lead.”
Fumerton says, while there’s no truly safe level for lead ingestion, parents don’t need to be concerned.
“Water is actually not a significant source of lead exposure for the population in general. I would definitely reassure parents that, in terms of the health of their child, it wouldn’t be a significant exposure.”
The district will also work with the NHA’s Environmental Health Officer to make sure drinking water in all of its facilities are safe.
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