The Greater Essex County District School Board (GECDSB) is committed to maintaining schools as safe, quality learning and teaching environments for our students and staff. Under Ontario Regulation 243/07 entitled “Schools, Private Schools and Childcare Centres” enacted under the Ontario Safe Drinking Water Act 2002, all school boards are required to test each school’s water annually to monitor lead levels. Acceptable lead levels, are provincially mandated, are to be less than 10 parts per billion or 10 ug/L.
If lead levels exceed provincial limits, school boards must immediately notify the local Medical Officer of Health, the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks’ Spills Action Centre, and the Ministry of Education of the exceedance and the corrective actions taken. The GECDSB will maintain and follow a communication protocol to inform school staff, parents, guardians and caregivers of lead level exceedances and corrective actions taken.
For more information on O.Reg. 243/07, please visit ontario.ca
Preventative Measures
Schools, private schools and childcare centres are required to flush their plumbing in accordance with Ontario Regulation 243/07. The frequency of flushing depends on several factors including:
- the age of the plumbing in the building; older buildings are more likely to have lead plumbing;
- lead test results from previous drinking water sampling;
- the location and use of drinking water fixtures;
- if there is an NSF certified filter installed on a drinking water fixture.
The following table provides guidance on how frequently a facility should be completing water flushing:
| Criteria | Frequency |
|---|---|
|
Flush Daily |
|
Flush Weekly |
Annual Lead In Drinking Water Report