ARE WE GETTING BETTER AT TESTING DRINKING WATER IN SCHOOLS?

The National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health (NCCEH) points to advancements in reducing lead exposure in drinking water in schools across Canada

Interview with Juliette O’Keeffe, MSc, PhD

By Suzanne Forcese

WT: Juliette, please Introduce yourself and NCCEH to our viewers.

O’Keeffe: I am a senior scientist at the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health (NCCEH). We are one of six National Collaborating Centres funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada to promote the use of scientific research and knowledge to strengthen public health practices, programs, and policies in Canada.

 The NCCEH focuses on issues related to environmental health, and we are hosted within the Environmental Health Services (EHS) program at the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) in Vancouver, BC. At the NCCEH, we focus on understanding the health benefits and risks associated with natural and built environments and identify evidence-based information to mitigate those risks.

WT: In 2011, "Lead in School Drinking Water: Canada can and shouldaddress this important ongoing exposure source" was published by lead authors Prabjit Barn and Tom Kosatsky who at the time were scientists at NCCEH. The Abstract states:

Reducing all preventable lead exposures in children should be a public health priority given that blood lead levels in children that were once considered “safe” have since been associated with important neuro-developmental deficits. Limited Canadian data indicate that school drinking water can be an important component of children’s overall exposure to lead. Outside of Ontario, however, Canadian schools are not required to test for lead in water; in most of Canada, school testing is case by case, typically initiated by parental concerns. Provinces and territories are encouraged to follow Ontario’s example by instituting a routine school water lead testing program in order to identify facilities where action can result in a decrease in students’ exposure to lead. Testing and remediation frameworks developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency, Health Canada, and the province of Ontario provide direction to school boards and local and provincial/territorial health authorities.

 WT: Have we made advancements in the quality and safety of drinking water in schools across Canada?

O’Keeffe: Since the article above was published, there have been notable advancements in BC and throughout Canada when it comes to reducing lead exposure in school drinking water. The article shows that school drinking water can be an important source of lead exposure for children, a population more susceptible to negative health outcomes. Reducing all preventable lead exposures can be supported by increased testing of school drinking water to understand where exposures are occurring, and implementing measures and policies to reduce exposure as needed.

In 2016, routine testing of schools became mandatory in BC and schools are required to report results to the Ministry of Education and Child Care every year. School districts were required to establish a water quality lead testing program that includes risk assessment, water testing, mitigation measures, and reporting. The full policy is outlined on the provincial government’s website. Regional health authorities in BC have also implemented lead testing for childcare facilities in 2020, for example Vancouver Coastal Health and Island Health.

In 2019, Health Canada reduced the maximum allowable concentration (MAC) for lead in drinking water from 10 µg/L to 5 µg/L. Canada was one of the first countries to lower the lead limit in drinking water below the WHO guideline of 10 µg/L. While there is no safe limit for lead exposure, this reduction in the MAC was an important advancement to push jurisdictions to reevaluate school testing programs. Quebec was the first to adopt this standard, requiring public schools and private education institutions to assess compliance with the updated MAC.

The NCCEH and BCCDC undertook a review of school sampling protocols in 2019. This has helped to inform the approaches jurisdictions may take when designing school testing programs. Several provinces and territories have undertaken school testing programs for lead and/or issued advice and taken steps to make data available since the reduction in the MAC (e.g., Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia; Yukon). The Northwest Territories developed a Procedure for collection, analysis of lead in drinking water for NWT Schools in 2025). Ontario’s Minister’s Annual Report on Drinking Water includes reporting on progress on lead testing at schools and childcare centres. This program is still reporting against the provincial standard (10 µg/L) rather than the updated Canadian Drinking Water Guideline.

WT: Are there still concerns?

O’Keeffe: There are some gaps in data on lead exposure in some areas of Canada as some jurisdictions do not require testing. I would also like to see all jurisdictions adopt the MAC, to ensure that appropriate actions are taken whenever lead levels exceeding the 5 µg/L limit are detected.

 WT: What do you consider a safe and acceptable course of action to be?

O’Keeffe: While progress has been made on testing across many jurisdictions, there is more that can be done to improve coverage of testing in schools and daycare/childcare in some regions, including a move towards mandated rather than voluntary testing. Another area for improvement would be ensuring the updated Canadian Drinking Water MAC of 5 µg/L is formally adopted into lead testing protocols.

We are getting better at detecting lead exposures, but we may need to do more to mitigate exposures when they are detected. This could include a combination of measures, ranging from lead service line replacement to automated flushing programs, to the replacement of problematic plumbing fixtures, to name a few. There remains variation in drinking water testing and sample collection protocols across Canada. An evidence-based, universal approach could help standardize interpretation of results and rollout of mitigation measures.

Related:

Lead in School Drinking Water: Canada can and should Address This Important Ongoing Exposure

Are We Getting Better in Testing Drinking Water In Schools Across Canada

The National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health (NCCEH) points to advancements in reducing lead exposure in drinking water in schools across Canada

Interview with Juliette O’Keeffe, MSc, PhD

By Suzanne Forcese

WT: Juliette, please Introduce yourself and NCCEH to our viewers.

O’Keeffe: I am a senior scientist at the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health (NCCEH). We are one of six National Collaborating Centres funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada to promote the use of scientific research and knowledge to strengthen public health practices, programs, and policies in Canada.

The NCCEH focuses on issues related to environmental health, and we are hosted within the Environmental Health Services (EHS) program at the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) in Vancouver, BC. At the NCCEH, we focus on understanding the health benefits and risks associated with natural and built environments and identify evidence-based information to mitigate those risks.

WT: In 2011, "Lead in School Drinking Water: Canada can and shouldaddress this important ongoing exposure source" was published by lead authors Prabjit Barn and Tom Kosatsky who at the time were scientists at NCCEH. The Abstract states:

Reducing all preventable lead exposures in children should be a public health priority given that blood lead levels in children that were once considered “safe” have since been associated with important neuro-developmental deficits. Limited Canadian data indicate that school drinking water can be an important component of children’s overall exposure to lead. Outside of Ontario, however, Canadian schools are not required to test for lead in water; in most of Canada, school testing is case by case, typically initiated by parental concerns. Provinces and territories are encouraged to follow Ontario’s example by instituting a routine school water lead testing program in order to identify facilities where action can result in a decrease in students’ exposure to lead. Testing and remediation frameworks developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency, Health Canada, and the province of Ontario provide direction to school boards and local and provincial/territorial health authorities.

WT: Have we made advancements in the quality and safety of drinking water in schools across Canada?

O’Keeffe: Since the article above was published, there have been notable advancements in BC and throughout Canada when it comes to reducing lead exposure in school drinking water. The article shows that school drinking water can be an important source of lead exposure for children, a population more susceptible to negative health outcomes. Reducing all preventable lead exposures can be supported by increased testing of school drinking water to understand where exposures are occurring, and implementing measures and policies to reduce exposure as needed.

In 2016, routine testing of schools became mandatory in BC and schools are required to report results to the Ministry of Education and Child Care every year. School districts were required to establish a water quality lead testing program that includes risk assessment, water testing, mitigation measures, and reporting. The full policy is outlined on the provincial government’s website. Regional health authorities in BC have also implemented lead testing for childcare facilities in 2020, for example Vancouver Coastal Health and Island Health.

In 2019, Health Canada reduced the maximum allowable concentration (MAC) for lead in drinking water from 10 µg/L to 5 µg/L. Canada was one of the first countries to lower the lead limit in drinking water below the WHO guideline of 10 µg/L. While there is no safe limit for lead exposure, this reduction in the MAC was an important advancement to push jurisdictions to reevaluate school testing programs. Quebec was the first to adopt this standard, requiring public schools and private education institutions to assess compliance with the updated MAC.

The NCCEH and BCCDC undertook a review of school sampling protocols in 2019. This has helped to inform the approaches jurisdictions may take when designing school testing programs. Several provinces and territories have undertaken school testing programs for lead and/or issued advice and taken steps to make data available since the reduction in the MAC (e.g., Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia; Yukon). The Northwest Territories developed a Procedure for collection, analysis of lead in drinking water for NWT Schools in 2025). Ontario’s Minister’s Annual Report on Drinking Water includes reporting on progress on lead testing at schools and childcare centres. This program is still reporting against the provincial standard (10 µg/L) rather than the updated Canadian Drinking Water Guideline.

WT: Are there still concerns?

O’Keeffe: There are some gaps in data on lead exposure in some areas of Canada as some jurisdictions do not require testing. I would also like to see all jurisdictions adopt the MAC, to ensure that appropriate actions are taken whenever lead levels exceeding the 5 µg/L limit are detected.

WT: What do you consider a safe and acceptable course of action to be?

O’Keeffe: While progress has been made on testing across many jurisdictions, there is more that can be done to improve coverage of testing in schools and daycare/childcare in some regions, including a move towards mandated rather than voluntary testing. Another area for improvement would be ensuring the updated Canadian Drinking Water MAC of 5 µg/L is formally adopted into lead testing protocols.

We are getting better at detecting lead exposures, but we may need to do more to mitigate exposures when they are detected. This could include a combination of measures, ranging from lead service line replacement to automated flushing programs, to the replacement of problematic plumbing fixtures, to name a few. There remains variation in drinking water testing and sample collection protocols across Canada. An evidence-based, universal approach could help standardize interpretation of results and rollout of mitigation measures.

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