Early this year, the City of London found high levels of lead at the taps in a number of older homes. The City of London reported these results to the MOE. The MOE responded by sending letters to municipalities suggesting that municipalities uncertain about lead levels in homes undertake tests at the tap in older homes to determine lead levels. There was no timeframe provided.Waterworks immediately initiated a program to comply with this suggestion, as follows:
Provincial Regulations require the annual testing for lead in the distribution system, i.e. not at the tap in private homes. Nevertheless, for the past 16 years, Waterworks has been monitoring the average lead content in tap water in some older homes in Guelph. The first step of Waterworks’ response to the letter was to review the results of this program over the last 16 years; to summarize the results, and to send the summary to the MOE and to Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health Unit. This summary was sent to the Health Unit in early May and to the MOE on Friday, May 18th.
Waterworks reviewed historical records to identify locations in the City where lead water services may still be in place. A summary of this review was completed in preparation for the design of a sampling program.
Waterworks initiated the design of a sampling program to undertake additional sampling at the taps in homes over and above what it already does, as suggested in the letter received.
Waterworks began work on a customer information package that includes Quick Facts to be posted on the City’s website, and a brochure to be given to customers who may have a lead water service.
As I indicated earlier, there are no lead-based watermains in Guelph. However, there are joints sealed with lead, lead solder used in home plumbing, and lead water services (i.e. the dedicated pipe that carries the water from the main to the home) remaining in older areas of the City. Waterworks currently implements an annual water service replacement program that has resulted in the replacement of over 1,000 older services on municipal property and has also replaced any and all lead-based services that we are aware of, however, some lead-based services may remain.The bullets below provide a quick summary of the lead content in Guelph’s drinking water:
The average lead content found in samples taken from Guelph’s distribution system over the past five years is 1.3 ug/L and there were NO confirmed samples containing in excess of the 10 ug/L standard, which is a health-related drinking water standard established by the MOE based on medical research and consultation with Health Canada.
The average lead content in samples taken from the tap in older homes in Guelph is 0.93 ug/L with a one-time high of 13 ugL. Prior and post sampling results from this same home showed results consistently below the standard. Staff