Water Sampling Program Ensures Compliance with National Standards
Medicine Hat – The City of Medicine Hat is starting the preliminary steps for a provincially-mandated water sampling program that will test the concentration of lead in drinking water.
In 2019, Health Canada reduced the maximum acceptable concentration for lead in drinking water from 0.010 milligrams per litre to 0.005 milligrams per litre (or 5 parts per billion). In late 2019, Alberta Environment and Parks announced that all waterworks systems registered under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (including Medicine Hat) would have five years to identify compliance or non-compliance with the new Health Canada guidelines and develop a required lead management program.
“It is important for residents to know that this testing is not in response to any perceived risk in Medicine Hat. It is simply a province-wide program for all waterworks in Alberta to ensure compliance with the new regulations,” said Pat Bohan, general manager of Environmental Utilities.
There are no lead pipes within the city-owned water distribution infrastructure but the city regularly tests for lead. Results have consistently shown that lead concentration within the city’s water distribution system is well below the limit established by provincial and federal legislation, averaging only 0.00063 milligrams per litre over the last 10 years.
However, the new regulations identify the point of compliance for lead in drinking water systems to be at the customer’s tap inside the property, rather than through the distribution system as it was in the past, taking into account the type of plumbing and fixtures used on the customer’s private property. Out of 24,000 water customers in Medicine Hat, only 63 properties are known to have lead services from the main to the home.
Medicine Hat is required to provide 80 water samples by September 30, 2021. Collection will begin in May and will require entrance into the property in the early morning before the tap has been turned on.
“Lead was a common construction material in the 1940s and 1950s, and we will focus on homes built during that time for testing, but will also test randomly in older and newer neighborhoods to see if anything shows up where we might not expect it,” adds Bohan.
Before May 1, Environmental Utilities staff will contact property-owners that are selected for testing to schedule appointments between May and September.
“Because of ongoing diligent stewardship of our water system, Medicine Hat is well-positioned to exceed all minimum requirements and is expecting very little impact as a result of this lead sampling, monitoring and management program,” adds Bohan. “When results are returned, we will evaluate our circumstance to develop an appropriate course of action, if any, at that time. But I reiterate, there is no reason for residents to be alarmed. We’re excited to have this opportunity to determine our baseline in accordance with the new regulation.”
Residents may follow the progress of the project on the city’s website.
For further information, please contact:
Media Relations
media@medicinehat.ca
In 2019, Health Canada reduced the maximum acceptable concentration for lead in drinking water from 0.010 milligrams per litre to 0.005 milligrams per litre (or 5 parts per billion). In late 2019, Alberta Environment and Parks announced that all waterworks systems registered under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (including Medicine Hat) would have five years to identify compliance or non-compliance with the new Health Canada guidelines and develop a required lead management program.
“It is important for residents to know that this testing is not in response to any perceived risk in Medicine Hat. It is simply a province-wide program for all waterworks in Alberta to ensure compliance with the new regulations,” said Pat Bohan, general manager of Environmental Utilities.
There are no lead pipes within the city-owned water distribution infrastructure but the city regularly tests for lead. Results have consistently shown that lead concentration within the city’s water distribution system is well below the limit established by provincial and federal legislation, averaging only 0.00063 milligrams per litre over the last 10 years.
However, the new regulations identify the point of compliance for lead in drinking water systems to be at the customer’s tap inside the property, rather than through the distribution system as it was in the past, taking into account the type of plumbing and fixtures used on the customer’s private property. Out of 24,000 water customers in Medicine Hat, only 63 properties are known to have lead services from the main to the home.
Medicine Hat is required to provide 80 water samples by September 30, 2021. Collection will begin in May and will require entrance into the property in the early morning before the tap has been turned on.
“Lead was a common construction material in the 1940s and 1950s, and we will focus on homes built during that time for testing, but will also test randomly in older and newer neighborhoods to see if anything shows up where we might not expect it,” adds Bohan.
Before May 1, Environmental Utilities staff will contact property-owners that are selected for testing to schedule appointments between May and September.
“Because of ongoing diligent stewardship of our water system, Medicine Hat is well-positioned to exceed all minimum requirements and is expecting very little impact as a result of this lead sampling, monitoring and management program,” adds Bohan. “When results are returned, we will evaluate our circumstance to develop an appropriate course of action, if any, at that time. But I reiterate, there is no reason for residents to be alarmed. We’re excited to have this opportunity to determine our baseline in accordance with the new regulation.”
Residents may follow the progress of the project on the city’s website.
For further information, please contact:
Media Relations
media@medicinehat.ca
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