Question Period Note: LEAD IN DRINKING WATER

Exposure to lead can lead to effects on neurological development and behaviour in children.

Lead in drinking water has received media attention across Canada. Multiple media outlets have reported “hundreds of thousands of Canadians could be consuming tap water laced with high levels of lead leaching from aging infrastructure and plumbing”. The findings are the result of a year-long investigation by more than 120 journalists from nine universities and 10 media organizations.

Two Canadian scientists, from Simon Fraser University and Université de Montréal, have also written an opinion piece calling for Canada to develop a single health-based national water quality standard to protect Canadians against the harmful effects of lead in drinking water.

In March 2019, Health Canada published the updated Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality for Lead, which lowered the maximum acceptable concentration from 0.01 mg/L to 0.005 mg/L.

• What is Health Canada doing to protect the health of Canadians from the effects of lead in drinking water?

• The science is clear—lead is harmful to human health. In Canada, drinking water quality is a responsibility shared among various levels of government and all jurisdictions agree on the need to reduce exposure to lead.

• In March of this year, Health Canada, in consultation with federal, provincial and territorial partners, lowered the lead guideline value for drinking water from 0.01 milligrams per litre to 0.005.

• Health Canada is supporting provinces, territories and other federal departments by providing expertise on human health science as well as advice and guidance on sampling protocols and approaches for controlling corrosion, and on the use of residential treatment devices.

IF PRESSED…

• Health Canada recognizes it is important to reduce exposure to lead as much as possible because health effects of lead may occur even at low concentrations.

• Until permanent solutions can be achieved there are actions that Canadians can take to reduce their exposure to lead in drinking water, such as flushing out pipes before consuming the water, cleaning aerators on taps monthly, replacing brass fittings, and installing a household water filter at the tap.

While lead is a naturally occurring element found in rock and soil, extensive human-made use has resulted in a broad potential for exposure to humans. Lead is found in air, dust and soil in Canada as well as in food and drinking water. Levels of lead in the environment have declined significantly over the past few decades.

In Canada, lead is not usually found in natural water sources or in water from drinking water treatment plants. However, lead can enter drinking water if it is released from parts of distribution or plumbing systems. Lead is more likely to be present in the drinking water of older homes and neighbourhoods because the National Plumbing Code of Canada considered lead an acceptable material for use in pipes that bring water to homes until 1975.

Exposure to lead can lead to effects on neurological development and behaviour in children, including reduction of intelligence quotient (IQ). Children and infants are most at risk from exposure to lead, as their brains are still developing.

Drinking Water in Canada

Provinces and territories have primary responsibility for regulating drinking water quality in Canada. The federal government supports the development of science-based drinking water quality guidelines through the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Committee on Drinking Water (CDW).

Health Canada’s role is to provide scientific leadership and work closely with the provinces and territories to establish and maintain the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality. These science-based guidelines are used by provincial and territorial drinking water authorities as they establish their regulatory requirements for protecting drinking water quality and public health. The guidelines do not prescribe timelines for implementation and Health Canada encourages jurisdictions to adopt a priority-based approach to their implementation.

Health Canada worked with CDW to develop the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality for Lead which was published in March 2019. The new maximum acceptable concentration of 0.005 mg/L, replaces the previous guideline value of 0.01 mg/L, which was established in 1992.

Provinces and territories are currently developing policies and protocols to sample drinking water in schools and daycares, as well as in other buildings and homes, and to replace lead service lines, where required. Health Canada is supporting provinces and territories through providing scientific expertise and health messaging.

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