The Government of Yukon recognizes the concerns of parents, staff, education partners and concerned stakeholders regarding the safety of drinking water in Yukon schools and is committed to maintaining open and transparent communication as the drinking water testing and remediation work moves along.
Drinking water in Yukon schools was tested for lead between 2018 and 2020. At that time, fixtures that required mitigation were either remediated or turned off. In December 2024, the Government of Yukon completed an additional comprehensive round of drinking water testing in Yukon schools. Test results have been reviewed by public health experts and are now available on Yukon.ca.
Health Canada's Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality set out the maximum acceptable concentrations (MAC) of substances in drinking water that may pose a risk to human health. While water samples collected from some fixtures in Yukon schools were found to have exceeded the MAC for lead, the analysis of the testing results obtained to date do not suggest that students and staff at Yukon schools are being exposed to lead levels that would be considered a health risk.
Based on the December 2024 results:
- Eight schools or programs do not have any fixtures that require remediation, mitigation, or replacement;
- 10 schools or programs have one fixture that needs remediation, mitigation, or replacement;
- Eight schools or programs have two to three fixtures that need remediation, mitigation or replacement; and
- Six schools or programs have five or more fixtures needing remediation, mitigation, or replacement.
Work is already underway to mitigate or remove drinking water fixtures that tested above the MAC for lead. The Government of Yukon is committed to addressing schools' immediate needs by continuing this remediation work in the coming weeks and months.
The government is developing a long-term drinking water monitoring program for schools. This program will follow established protocols and best practices for regularly testing school drinking water to ensure it meets Canadian guidelines.
The Government of Yukon will continue to communicate with stakeholders, school communities and the public as remediation work continues through the spring.
To ensure the health and safety of all Yukoners, the Yukon government also initiated a separate, proactive water testing project for Government of Yukon buildings last year. The buildings that are part of this project include 24/7 facilities and buildings that source water from wells or holding tanks.
Yukoners may also have questions about testing the drinking water in their home, especially if the plumbing or fixtures are older or it was built before 1990: Learn about drinking water quality in your home
Quick facts
- The current water testing and remediation plan for schools was reviewed and approved by the Yukon's Chief Medical Officer of Health and Environmental Health Services.
- Sources of lead in drinking water can include lead pipes, faucets and plumbing fixtures. Welding solder and pipe fittings from before 1986 may also be sources of lead.
- Between 2018-2020 the Government of Yukon completed testing for lead in water samples from fixtures in all Yukon schools. At that time, drinking water fixtures with lead levels that exceeded the federal guidelines were mitigated, replaced or removed.
- School drinking water was collected and tested for lead from October to December 2024. The samples were tested as they were collected.
- The Government of Yukon is exploring testing the drinking water at the Individual Learning Centre in collaboration with the building's owner. All other Yukon schools were tested in 2024.
Related information:
