The Vancouver School Board is wrapping up the first phase of its project to lower the amount of lead in its water fountains.
The current standard is 10 parts of lead per billion of water. But Andre Gagnon of Health Canada says it plans to lower that to five in the near future.
“It’s important to reduce exposure to lead as much as possible given that current science cannot identify a level below which there’s no risk to health,” he said.
James Meschino of the Vancouver School Board says his staff will be finished shutting down fountains that don’t meet that new standard at 36 schools by end of Friday.
“The plan is to have every one of our schools equipped with a water bottle filling station,” he said.
“That will take probably a couple of years to implement and it will take a funding source. We plan to request funding from the Ministry of Education for that.”
Each station costs roughly $3,000.
WATCH: (Aired Sept. 26, 2018) VSB vote to re-pipe and install water refilling stations after lead concerns
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