Sometime next year, Health Canada is expected to release new guidelines that will lower the acceptable limit of lead in drinking water. The Edmonton-based utility firm EPCOR is attempting to get ahead of the changes that need to be made before the new guidelines take effect.
Right now, the allowable amount of lead per litre of water is 10 micrograms. The new guidelines will cap that at five.
Stephen Craik with EPCOR says Edmontonians need to understand their drinking water itself is safe, it’s what happens when it approaches a home that can cause an issue.
Homes that were constructed before 1950 often have lead piping. But what EPCOR tests are showing is that even brass fixtures in new homes are causing lead levels to rise above that safe limit.
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“This is not an acute risk,” Craik said. “It’s not like you’re going to drink the water and get sick, but it’s more of a chronic, long-term risk.”
EPCOR has been doing random testing across the city and has found that about 33,800 connections could have an issue when these guidelines change.
Craik said EPCOR is looking at a “potential blanket solution” to help keep the water coming from the tap below the safe limit. One of the things they’re testing is whether adding a corrosion inhibitor will work to stop any lead from pipes or fixtures from leaking in.
Unfortunately, Craik said guidelines aren’t very clear on what is and isn’t allowed for low-lead plumbing fixtures. He suggested homeowners that are concerned should ask stores or contractors where they’re buying their plumbing fixtures.
“I’m a homeowner, too, and what I would ask at the plumbing store that I go to is, ‘Can you tell me how much lead is in this particular plumbing fixture that I want to put in my house?’”
Craik also suggested running the water before drinking it if it’s been stagnant, like after a vacation or even in the morning, in older homes. He said two to three minutes should clear any water that lead may have leached into.
Only a small portion of EPCOR connections in Edmonton are expected to be affected by the new guidelines, Craik said, so he’s urging Edmontonians to feel safe drinking the water.
“Nothing has changed in the larger context — drinking water hasn’t changed in Edmonton,” he said. “It’s really the new standard is coming out, which is raising the bar for water utilities right across the country.
“It’s pushing water utilities to do better for raising awareness and the plumbing industry as well to improve.”
Homeowners that live in houses that have lead piping should be receiving a yearly letter from EPCOR with information about what to do. If you live in a home that you believe may have lead pipes but haven’t received a letter, Craik said to call EPCOR at 780-412-6800.
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