OCDSB trustee candidates call for safer drinking water in schools
Ten trustee candidates across nine zones say the board needs faucet-by-faucet testing and a permanent fix for lead in school drinking water.
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Ten trustee candidates from nine zones have co-signed a statement calling on the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board to act on lead in drinking water at its schools. The concern follows reports from parents and candidates about lead in tap water at various OCDSB schools.
The Health Canada guideline for lead in drinking water is 5 parts per billion, down from 10 ppb before 2019. The statement notes that Ontario and Saskatchewan do not follow the federal guidance, and that Ontario's provincial limit cited in the statement is 10 ppb. Most other provinces and territories follow the 5 ppb figure.
The current remedy is flushing pipes to reduce lead levels, but the statement says flushing is temporary and lead can return to dangerous levels within minutes. The candidates tie this to recent custodial layoffs, which they say have increased workloads, with remaining custodians asked to flush pipes every morning.
The statement demands that the OCDSB publicly report annual test results faucet by faucet and increase testing frequency. It proposes pipe replacement or filtration as permanent solutions and asks Ontario to fund filtration, prioritising schools above 10 ppb and those with the youngest students.
The candidates named include John MacRae (Zone 1), Daniel Pershick (Zone 3), Emily Quaile (Zone 4), Natasha Lynn Mott (Zone 5), Chris Durrant (Zone 6), Hilary Clauson and Scott Dutrisac (Zone 9), Keelin Pringnitz (Zone 10), Brendan Ray (Zone 11) and Cathy Varrette (Zone 12). HighOnCity reported in June that lead had been seeping into drinking fountains at OCDSB schools. No OCDSB or Ontario government response to the statement was included in the material, and no cost figure or timeline for a permanent plan has been given.
What is the OCDSB's response to the candidates' call for faucet-by-faucet testing?
How many schools and students are currently affected by lead in tap water?
What would pipe replacement or filtration cost, and who would pay?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
How many trustee candidates signed the statement about lead in school drinking water?
Ten trustee candidates from nine zones co-signed the statement calling on the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board to address lead in drinking water at its schools.
What is Health Canada's guideline for lead in drinking water?
Health Canada's guideline for lead in drinking water is 5 parts per billion, down from 10 ppb before 2019.
Why do the candidates say flushing pipes is not a sufficient solution?
Flushing pipes is temporary and lead can return to dangerous levels within minutes, according to the statement.
What permanent solutions do the candidates propose?
The candidates propose pipe replacement or filtration as permanent solutions to the lead problem in OCDSB schools.
