Georgina schools tested for high levels of lead in 2017. Now, water flushing clear

Deer Park tested 147 times higher than national guideline for lead water testing in 2017

Yorkregion.com
Nov. 13, 2019
Amanda Persico

According to Georgina’s 2018 water quality summery report released earlier this year, the town’s drinking water system is performing at 100 per cent, indicating the lowest possible risk and highest possible inspection rating.

“I want to reassure residents and businesses in Georgina that our municipal water is safe and tested on a regular basis,” said Mayor Margaret Quirk in a statement.

According to the report, the town has not had any lead exceedances since 2007.

The town’s water samples show lead levels ranging between less than 0.5 ppb and 3 ppb -- below the new federal guideline of 5 ppb.

According to the town, there is a low likelihood of lead pipes in the Keswick/Sutton area. The oldest watermains in town date back to the late 1950s and account for less than one per cent of watermain piping, the remaining installed after 1960 are made of other materials.

However, several local schools blew lead levels out of the water, with levels more than 145 times higher than the national guidelines.

Deer Park Public School tested as high as 737 ppb, 628 ppb and 589 ppb in July and August of 2017.

Deer Park is one of the oldest schools in the region.

But schools built within the last 20 years also tested for high lead levels. Fairwood and Lake Simcoe public schools, which both opened in 2001, reported lead levels of 690 ppb and 295 ppb respectively in 2017.

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

The program identified solutions such as flushing pipes, replacing the piping to a fixture and removing a tap fixture all together to have schools come into compliance with lead water guidelines.

Deer Park, Lake Simcoe and Fairwood public schools did not have any exceedances in 2019, Choo-Hum said.

"Reasons for the exceedances could be anything from the fixture itself to lead solder to valves," she added. "Although the age of building can be a factor, this is not always the case."  

Each school has to meet the requirements laid out by Ontario’s environment and climate change ministry.

If there is an exceedance, the school board works with public health to mitigate the issue by flushing pipes, removing a particular fixture and providing an alternative water source until the test levels are clear, Choo-Hum said.

Georgina Lead Failure:
Here are the top five highest lead exceedance levels in Georgina with testing done between 2016 and 2017.

The federal lead guideline is 5 parts per billion.

• 737 ppb -- Deer Park Public School: opened in 1882 as a frame room, 1912 opened as a one room schoolhouse and additions in 1930, 1953, 1954, 1969, 1972 and 1985;

• 690 ppb -- Fairwood Public School: opened in 2001;

• 381 ppb -- Keswick Public School: opened in 1927 as a four-room schoolhouse, with additions in 1950s, 1965, 1981 and 1988 and 1990s;

• 295 ppb -- Lake Simcoe Public School: opened in 2001;

• 95 ppb -- W. J. Watson Public School: opened 1993.

The national investigation series did not have water level testing information for the Waabgan Gaming First Nation School on Georgina Island.