Drinking Water Testing

The drinking water at schools within the Halton District School Board follows stringent water testing in accordance with Ontario Regulation 243/07 and under the direction of the Ministry the Environment, Conservation and Parks. All sampling, testing and any remediation is completed before school commences to ensure the health and safety of students.

The information is publicly available on the websites of the Halton District ​School Board​ and the ​ Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks​. If a test result shows an exceedance, parents/guardians and staff are notified directly by the school.  Each fixture is shut down, signage is posted and an alternative water supply is provided.

The “Handwashing only” signs are a visual indicator that these fixtures won’t be tested for lead and therefore, are not considered 'drinking water sources' for student consumption. Instead, they are to be used for hand washing and other classroom purposes only.​

If a fixture’s standing sample laboratory test results indicate an unacceptable concentration of lead and the flushed sample shows acceptable lead concentration levels, staff at the school perform a five-minute daily flush of every water line, and a ten-second flush at every fixture before school starts. This ensures the standing water condition does not occur. If a fixture’s flushed sample laboratory test results indicate an unacceptable concentration of lead, water supply to the fixture is shut off. The water supply is not turned back on until a retest confirms lead levels are within acceptable amounts. If subsequent test results show unacceptable concentration levels, the fixture is removed entirely, replaced and retested, or designated as handwashing only. In the event that there has been an exceedance, flushing will occur daily as a precaution. This applies to both standing and flush test results.

The regulation requires all school sites to be tested annually between May 1 and October 31 and are most often completed during the summer months. At that time, there are limited staff and students present in our schools. This inactivity of the water supply means the water standing in the pipes is more likely to result in higher lead concentration levels. During the school year, water is constantly being used, and therefore not standing in water pipes. Flush samples are representative of the water quality during a typical school day.

Under Ontario Regulation 243/07, the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks requires all sites to be tested annually between May and October. The Halton District School Board hires an independent, certified third-party to gather water samples and send to a certified laboratory to perform the analysis. Under the regulation, if an exceedance is detected, the lab is required to inform the Ministry of Environment Spills Action Centre, the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, Halton Region Public Health Department, the Ministry of Education and the school board.

Our sampling is typically completed during the summer months when there are limited staff and students in our schools. This inactivity of the water supply can sometimes impact lead concentration levels. Major construction projects are completed during summer months and water can be shut-down for extended periods, which results in long standing time and subsequently high concentration levels.

No, however for schools using well water, additional monthly testing is required under Ontario Regulation 170/03 for coliform and E-coli.
​

Ontario’s surface and groundwater generally does not contain lead. If lead does occur naturally, the concentrations are typically extremely low and below the drinking water standard for lead. Where there are concentrations of lead in drinking water above the standard, the likely cause is from the lead pipes servicing the premises, lead solder used in the plumbing or fixtures containing high percentages of lead.

Lead pipe service connections have been used to deliver water from distribution pipes since the late 1800s. Older buildings (generally those built before the mid-1950s) are more likely to have lead connections. By 1990, the amount of lead in solder that could be used in drinking water plumbing was substantially reduced.

The amount of lead leaching into drinking water from these components depends largely on the chemical characteristics of the water. In certain circumstances, extended contact between standing water and the components can cause the lead to be released from the pipes. When the tap is turned on, water that has been standing in the pipes may have accumulated lead levels higher than Ontario’s standard for lead.

Source: Fact Sheet for Parents (Ontario Regulation 243/07)

If you suspect that you have lead service pipes or lead plumbing in your home, you may wish to have your tap water tested for lead. Some municipalities in Ontario have programs that help residents test their drinking water for lead. Contact your municipality for more information about your water service pipes and what is available in your community.

Alternatively, you can arrange your own drinking water lead test through a licensed laboratory. Visit here​ to view a list of laboratories licensed by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks to test for lead or call the Ministry’s Public Information Centre at 1-800-565-4923.

Source: Fact Sheet for Parents (Ontario Regulation 243/07)