Sask. NDP calls for more action following investigative report on lead-tainted water

After an investigative news report was released on Monday showing Saskatchewan residents have some of the highest levels of lead-tainted drinking water in the country, the NDP is calling for a provincial review.

“This is a serious matter requiring serious provincial leadership and response and answers for people,” said NDP municipal relations critic Trent Wotherspoon during question period at the Saskatchewan legislature on Monday.

“To suggest that we should just stick with the status quo just simply isn’t good enough. We know this issue can’t be tackled without the support and leadership of the province. This is about health and safety, and there needs to be a plan developed in full partnership with municipalities to assess the current state and health of our drinking water.”

In response, the minister responsible for the Saskatchewan Water Security Agency, Greg Ottenbreit, said municipalities work closely with the Water Security Agency to monitor for lead and that it is up to individual municipalities to address issues.

This comes in response to data obtained through freedom-of-information requests as part of a joint investigation involving nine universities and 10 media outlets, including Global News, the University of Regina School of Journalism and the Regina Leader-Post.

During the year-long investigation, 2,600 tap water sampling measurements were obtained from Regina, Saskatoon and Moose Jaw. Of those samples, 58 per cent measured lead levels that were above Health Canada’s recommended limit of five parts per billion (ppb). The average result was 22 ppb.

Although lead service lines in older neighbourhoods are the main source of contamination, lead solder was also used until 1986, and restrictions on lead in plumbing fixtures were only tightened in 2014.

In response to the investigation, the City of Regina says it’s reviewing its Lead Service Connections program to make improvements. The city currently sends out letters to residents who have a city-owned lead service line, offering free water testing and filters for up to one year.

“We are hoping that this story will help to bring some focus to it and we will see more residents call us,” said Pat Wilson, Regina’s director of water, waste and environmental services. “We are going to be continuing to add elements to our program as we go through — we come to council every year.”

This year, Wilson said the city is on pace to replace 160 lead service lines, which is almost 50 per cent more than in 2017. At this rate, with 3,600 lead service lines left to replace, the city said it will be lead-free in 20 to 25 years.

Saskatoon, on the other hand, replaces between 300 and 400 lead service lines each year, with a plan to be lead-free by 2026. The city also makes replacements for homeowners mandatory, replacing the public side as well as the private side and splitting the cost with residents 60-40.

Under the program, Saskatoon allows homeowners to repay the city immediately or over three or five years. There are also other options for low-income property owners. All repayment plans are interest-free, and experts have praised the city as a leader in North America for adopting this approach.

“We want to make sure residents have safe drinking water and we are like every other city in North America in addressing this, but because we made a decision to prioritize this replacement, we have one of the most aggressive programs to get rid of those lead lines,” said Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark.

While no program like this exists in Regina, Mayor Michael Fougere says it’s something the city is committed to looking into further.

“We will look at what we can do to enhance the program to make it easier and perhaps make it mandatory, splitting the cost, ” Fougere said. “We will look at what other cities are doing as well.”

The City of Moose Jaw also said it is working to make sure its water supply complies with regulations.