Despite lead being found in many local schools, a report from the Vancouver Sun late last month found the Richmond School District does not have a regular, annual testing regimen.
Now, school trustee Sandra Nixon, the school board’s liaison with Vancouver Coastal Health, is asking for clarity on how testing will be done moving forward.
Minister of Education Mike Bernier stated publicly that he wants annual testing done, by each district or via the relevant health authority.
The Sun noted six out of 10 schools tested in Richmond in 2011 showed high levels of lead at the start of the school day.
Nixon said the “ideal situation” would be to have pipes in older schools replaced, however granted how little new funding is directed to the public school system, she believes children will need to continue to run the water at fountains.
School board chair Debbie Tablotney said she wasn’t sure of the exact test results but was under the impression that more recent tests were “within reason.”
“There’s always a little bit of lead in water, especially for old schools,” said Tablotney.
She, too, said it’s important for students to run the water for one or two minutes until it’s cold.
In 2015, the City of Richmond conducted three tests for lead. Its levels were about half or less than half the maximum acceptable concentration for lead in drinking water.
Health Canada notes Lead is present in tap water as a result of “dissolution from natural sources or from household plumbing systems containing lead in pipes.”
Lead can damage the central nervous system, among other health concerns.
