BCTF calls for government to test schools’ water for lead

The B.C. Teachers’ Federation is urging the provincial government to ensure schools have safe drinking water.

There is concern about lead in school drinking water — a teacher in Kitimat had water tested after a failed classroom experiment on salmon eggs in 2012, and tests found contaminated drinking water at four schools in Prince Rupert, several years after concerns were first raised, the BCTF said.

Today, it’s up to schools to test the water and to work with health authorities to mitigate the risk, which can be as simple as flushing the water system every day. But there is no system in place across the province to ensure schools are regularly testing water and taking action.

Jennifer Rice, the NDP MLA representing North Coast, introduced a private member’s bill on Thursday that calls on the government to adopt the Safe Water for Schools Act, which would require regular testing of water in schools. The BCTF is calling on government to pass the bill. The accumulation of lead in the body can lead to neurological issues in children and it has been associated with low intelligence scores and behavioural disorders like attention deficit disorder, Rice said. “The fact is there is no routine testing of lead in children’s drinking water in British Columbia,” Rice said.

The Ministry of Education put the onus on schools to test their water for safety, although it said there is no evidence children have been adversely affected in B.C.

In February, deputy education minister Dave Byng wrote a letter to school districts reminding them to work with local health authorities on plans to evaluate water quality, especially in schools built after 1989.

The letter says the plans should include testing of “priority facilities” and it says there are a number of actions that can be taken to manage risks.

The BCTF, at its annual general meeting last month, called for a regular water-monitoring program across the province.