City encourages property owners to replace their old lead service lines

“We send them off and we get the results back,” Schafer said. “The information is also given to the provincial and federal governments, of course without the names identifying people. But it is a requirement we have to do every year.”

Because it is a voluntary program, the city is encouraging people to take advantage of it.

The city also provides water-testing kits.

“In fact, we do testing annually on lead connection lines. So the city does a lot of education with the public in addition to that,” Mayor Ryan Bater said.

The mayor knows of a few individuals who were not aware they had lead lines until the city informed them.

It is the property owner’s responsibility to have the lines connecting to their home replaced if lead is identified.

For streets where the city is completing Underground Pipes and Asphalt Replacement (UPAR) work, the city offers to replace the lead lines to the house for a fee of $1,000.

“When we’re doing construction on a street, we offer a replacement package to property owners of $1,000, which is very reasonable considering that replacing a lead service line on your own would be $10,000 plus,” Bater said. “It’s a service we’re happy to provide because we’re digging up the street anyway. We wish more people would take advantage of it, but we have a pretty good response rate.”

He said it would be ideal if all the lead lines in the city were eliminated, but they are owned by the property owners.

“We actually don’t have the authority to go and change them. So It’s up to the property owner to replace their own service lines,” Bater said.

The city advises the property owners if they have known lead connection lines. Tenants who start their water service account are also notified of lead lines.

Schafer said tenants can also find out if they bring their water bill to city hall and enquire.

According to Health Canada, residents who have lead lines should run their water for about a minute until it’s cold before drinking the water or cooking with it. They should also use only cold tap water since hot water increases the risk of lead and other materials leaching from the pipes. A water filter at the tap can also help as a temporary solution.

The city has been conducting a lead monitoring program since 2015, as outlined in Health Canada’s guidance on controlling corrosion in drinking water distribution systems.

City administration reports corrosion may cause contaminants, in particular lead, to leach into drinking water, a health concern for residents. Health Canada’s guidelines for Canadian drinking water quality indicate the maximum acceptable concentration level (MAC) for lead is currently 0.005 mg/L based on a sample of water taken at the tap, according to the government’s new guidelines of March 2019.

Health Canada states it is critical to reduce lead exposure as much as possible. Children, infants and babies in utero are most at risk. Lead exposure in drinking water can effect neurological development and behaviour in children, and cause increased blood pressure or kidney problems in adults.

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow

by Angela Brown

City encourages property owners to replace their old lead service lines

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