'It's safe': Markham's water quality control on tap, city assures residents in wake of tainted water investigation

No lead pipes in distribution system, says Mayor Frank Scarpitti, in wake of high levels of lead exposed in other municipalities

Yorkregion.com
Nov. 13, 2019
Heidi Riedner

Markham residents were left wading through the ripple effects of media reports last week of high levels of lead in tap water across the country.

Many raised concerns over the safety of their drinking water after the results of a year-long joint investigation involving more than 120 journalists from nine universities and 10 media organizations were published in The Star revealing hundreds of thousands of Canadians are consuming tap water laced with high levels of lead leaching from aging and deteriorating municipal infrastructure.

Of some 12,000 tests conducted since 2014, 33 per cent exceeded the national safety guideline of 5 parts per billion (ppb).

But Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti said residents have nothing to worry about when it comes to the city's tap water.

“We have no lead pipes in our distribution system, so residents can be reassured that the municipal side of the water system is safe."

All known lead service lines from the municipal watermain up to property lines have long been replaced and rigorous testing of the system complies with all provincial regulation, with any levels detected well below acceptable rates, he added.

“We don’t let the system degrade and we make necessary repairs," Scarpitti said, speaking to efforts to ensure a properly maintained and monitored distribution system only days after council deliberated a hike in the city's water rates.

"So, when people are seeing their water rates go up, I’m not happy about it, but at the end of the day, that is strictly for the capital cost going in to the system to ensure that we don’t have any problems.”

While the city is responsible for service lines up to property lines, owners are responsible for any problems stemming from the lines connected to their homes or businesses, as well as the internal plumbing.

Both may contain lead pipes or solder containing lead. That's because it wasn’t until 1975 when lead pipes in new construction were banned. Federal regulations changed in 2013 regarding the use of lead in plumbing fixtures such as bronze and brass taps.

Scarpitt said any homeowner who has concerns should check their pipes and test their water. Residents can call the city's contact centre at 905-477-5530 or email customerservice@markham.ca for help wading through the process.

“But that is only if they suspect they might have lead pipes on their own private property. There is no lead on the municipal side,” he reiterated.

Water flowing through old pipes can be OK, but every now and then a chunk of lead falls off into the water, said Marc Edwards, a professor of environmental and civil engineering at Virginia Tech who helped expose the water crisis in Flint, Mich., in 2015.

“If it’s water you use for cooking or drinking, it can have real serious health consequences.”

A chunk of lead is most likely the culprit for a staggeringly high test sample at St. Brother André Catholic High School in Markham, York Catholic District School Board Superintendent Jennifer Sarna told The Star in response to the school recording the highest single test among the 2,400 schools in Ontario that exceeded the current federal guideline for lead in drinking water in the past two years.

It measured 6,710 ppb, more than 1,300 times above the federal guideline.

Within hours of being notified in September of 2017, however, the music room’s tap in the sink used to rinse instrument mouthpieces was closed off and no longer accessible to students, board spokesperson, Mariann Gordon, told the Economist & Sun.

“A variety of corrective actions were taken and retests conducted,” she said. While the lead levels were greatly reduced, they continued to be above the provincial standard, which is 10 ppb, she added.

“Because a satisfactory solution could not be reached, the tap was removed and the water source eliminated.”

She was clear, however, that the water in YCDSB schools is safe to drink.

“As required under provincial legislation, water fixtures are tested regularly and any issues are addressed immediately using established procedures dictated by the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Parks (MECCP) to ensure the safety of our students. As a school board we have always worked closely with our partners at York Region Public Health and the Province to make sure we are providing a safe environment for students and staff. This will continue to be the case if the provincial drinking water standard is updated.”

Similarly, the region’s public school board said it is vigilant with monitoring and taking action to remediate issues when they arise.

It introduced a new water testing process a couple of years ago, where water is tested at each school on an annual basis, explained York Region District School board spokesperson Christina Choo-Hum.

For tips on what you can do to find out if you have lead in your tap water click here and scroll to the section on York Region.