Questions:

What testing has been done on the drinking water at SD 53 schools?
Has IHA, Mof Ed or the SD ordered testing
Are there any results of some testing
Is the SD concerned about the quality of water in the district and what is the plan going forward.

Answers:

When our water supplies come from the area district, the water is tested regularly at source. We have one well in our school district at Cawston and as this is our primary source of drinking water, we are required to test it regularly for bacteria that might be present. This is done at the request of and through Interior Health.

Recently there were concerns raised because of lead found in the drinking water in Prince Rupert. This raised concern with the Ministry and they requested that all school districts start a testing program for lead content, if not already done so.

We tested all our schools within the district that were built prior to 1989 when lead was more prominently used to solder pipes. Two locations were found to have higher trace levels of lead. Those two locations were retested and cleared however notice has been sent out to all of our schools built prior to 1989 of best practices to drink out of our existing water fountains or bottle refill stations. If water is to be consumed from the tap, it is best to let the water run for two minutes if it has been standing for any length of time.

We are concerned for our students and we will continue to do testing on an annual basis.

Debby Sansome -C Tech
Director of Facilities
SD#53(Okanagan Similkameen)