Chief Julius School in Fort McPherson is the latest to report concerns about lead in the facility’s water as NWT-wide testing continues.
Results are coming in at the rate of three to four schools a week as a territorial testing program – sparked by initial tests in Yellowknife last year – continues across nearly 50 schools in more than 30 communities.
On Thursday, the NWT government said some fixtures at Chief Julius School had lead concentrations above the Health Canada guideline maximum.
The community learning centre in Ndılǫ, by contrast, was given the all-clear.
One science lab at Chief Julius School had lead levels approaching 40 times the Health Canada limit when tested after being allowed to sit unused overnight. Even after flushing, that fixture remained well above the guideline cap.
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In all, 12 of the 31 fixtures tested at the Fort McPherson school were above the Health Canada guideline. All five fixtures tested in Ndılǫ were free of problems.
The GNWT says it will now take action to correct the issues in Fort McPherson. Alternative sources of water will be provided in the meantime.
