City of Edmonton officials are responding after an intensive investigation involving multiple media outlets, including Global News, found that some people in the city have been drinking tap water with lead levels as high as 120 times the federal health guideline over the last 11 years, according to new data.
When Mayor Don Iveson was asked Monday if he had any concerns about the city’s water quality, he gave a simple answer at first: “No.”
“EPCOR’s board and management report to us regularly,” he elaborated. “I think they’ve taken a very proactive approach to it and are prepared to help support homeowners who do have concerns with filtration and other things.
“Recognizing that the pipes need to change over time, and there is work to do. I have full confidence in the water supply and the integrity of it in our city.”
Through the investigation, Global News obtained test data from EPCOR, Edmonton’s private water utility, that revealed lead levels in some Edmonton houses exceeded the current federal safety guideline of five parts per billion every year since 2008.
EPCOR had responded to the investigation initially, saying that there are about 4,450 homes in Edmonton with private lead lines, and another 23,000 with lead plumbing or fixtures. The agency also said it always notifies customers of lead test results.
On Tuesday, after the story went live on Global News, EPCOR also took to Twitter to respond, saying that nothing had changed overnight.
EPCOR added that it offers free water tests for households with lead water pipes and will provide free filters or replace the entire line if needed.
The agency said on Twitter that it has also received approval to add a lead inhibitor, called an orthophosphate, to Edmonton’s water supply starting in 2020.
EPCOR said that any Edmontonians who have concerns over lead service lines can check what material their service line is made of at epcor.com/lead or call the water dispatch line at 780-412-6800 to book a level test if they do have lead pipes.
The initial tainted water investigation was put together by a series of journalists from Global News, MacEwan University, Star Edmonton and Concordia University’s Institute for Investigative Journalism.