Hamilton school drinking taps fail lead test
- Robert
- 17 Jul 2018
Whether you’re in the privacy of your own home or at a public institution, all Hamiltonians should have access to clean, safe drinking water. Across 32 different Hamilton public schools, 57 water sources have failed lead testing.
Last July, Ontario introduced a new provincial regulation requiring all school boards to test lead levels in their water supply. Each school board was given three years to complete said tests.
The purpose of the tests is to make sure the water coming out of both drinking fountains and taps used for food preparation is safe.
Each water source is tested twice. The first test checks the water before being run or flushed for upwards of 10 seconds. The second test checks the water after being run or flushed. The water cannot exceed a lead limit of 10 parts per billion.
Water sources that fail the pre-flush lead test are taken out of service and replaced. Sources that pass the first test but fail the second get flushed out daily to maintain their passing result.
The 57 water sources with a failing grade included 29 fountains, 27 sink taps, and one hydration station. Hamilton high schools home to multiple water sources that failed the test include Ancaster, Glendale, Nora Frances Henderson, Sherwood, Westdale and Westmount.
Do you worry about the quality of your drinking water? Let us know in the comments.
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