How the GNWT says it’s ensuring safe drinking water in YK schools

As the school year begins, the NWT government has provided an update on measures it is taking to ensure the water is safe to drink at schools.

So far, testing has detected elevated lead levels in the water of three schools in Yellowknife – École William McDonald Middle School, Range Lake North School and NJ Macpherson School.

Dr Kami Kandola, the NWT’s chief public health officer, has issued a “do not consume” order for the water at William McDonald and Range Lake North.

She said drinking water service will only resume at those schools once new safety systems are in place and follow-up testing has confirmed the water is safe.

At NJ Macpherson, high lead levels were recently confirmed for five sinks. All drinking fountains and water bottle fill stations at the school remain available for use.

The NWT government said it is taking measures to address lead in the water at all three schools.

“The Government of the Northwest Territories remains committed to ensuring the health and safety of students, staff and families in the NWT schools,” Michael Auge, manager of capital planning at the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, told reporters on Tuesday.

Much of the information provided at Tuesday’s briefing echoed statements NWT officials have previously made over the summer. Here’s a breakdown by school of what was said.

École William McDonald Middle School

At William McDonald, Auge said all fountains, faucets and food preparation fixtures are being replaced.

So far, two new drinking fountains have been installed with the rest expected by Thursday.

New food preparation fixtures are being installed this week, Auge said, while point-of-use activated carbon filters are expected to be installed at every drinking water and food preparation fixture early next week.

Auge said the water will be re-tested once all new fixtures and filters are in place, which is expected by the end of next week.

Range Lake North School

At Range Lake North, the territorial government said all fountains, faucets and food preparation fixtures are being replaced this week.

Once complete, the territory plans to retest the water, which it expects to occur by the middle of next week.

Auge said the GNWT plans to install an automated flushing system, which is expected to take about a month. Until then, a manual flushing program will be in place.

NJ Macpherson School

At NJ Macpherson, Auge said replacement components have been ordered for the five sinks and are expected to arrive in mid-September. Installation will take place as soon as those parts arrive.

For the other 46 schools across the territory, Auge said the NWT government is working on finalizing a drinking water testing program.

He said schools will be prioritized for testing based on the age of the infrastructure, age of the students, water quality, and results from initial random sampling.

Lead exposure

Dr Kandola said people concerned about potential lead exposure at the Yellowknife schools can have their blood tested.

She noted that acute lead exposure can be detected through a blood test while long-term, accumulative exposure can be detected through a bone scan or X-ray fluorescence.

Kandola said of 27 staff and students from William McDonald who had their blood tested, all results indicated lead levels within the normal range. Some of the highest lead levels were detected in water at that school.

As the water in NWT schools had not been tested before this year, it’s unclear how long elevated lead levels existed. Territorial officials said on Tuesday they believe the source of lead detected at the schools is the water fixtures, which are being replaced.

The NWT government said current and former school staff with concerns about workplace lead exposure can submit a report to the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission, adding that staff at the commission can assist with reporting.