The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has received lead testing results for Mildred Hall School in Yellowknife. Testing has confirmed that some drinking water fixtures show lead levels above the maximum acceptable concentration (MAC) set out in the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality. As a result, the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer (OCPHO) has issued a Public Health Order for the school.
Effective immediately, eight drinking water fixtures and one water fountain at Mildred Hall School will be taken out of service. A safe, alternate drinking water source will be provided for students and staff. Handwashing and cleaning sinks remain available and safe to use.
The GNWT is taking the following steps to address the issue:
- The Departments of Infrastructure (INF) and Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) are working together to identify and implement appropriate remediation measures.
- Once corrective actions are completed, follow-up testing will be carried out and submitted to the OCPHO for a health risk assessment.
- Water service will only be restored once new safety measures are in place, testing confirms that water meets all health standards, and approval is provided by the OCPHO.
Water testing at Mildred Hall School is part of the GNWT's commitment to test drinking water in every school in the territory this year. A priority-based protocol guides the order in which schools are tested, based on factors such as facility age, previous water quality data, and the age of students. While the protocol helps determine sequencing, the commitment remains the same: all schools will be tested using a science-based approach that reflects Health Canada's guidance and the conditions of the North, including remote locations, trucked water systems, and aging infrastructure.
When GNWT staff are already scheduled to travel to a community and testing can be safely incorporated, the GNWT may proceed at that time, even if the school was not identified among the highest priorities.
The GNWT remains committed to ensuring safe drinking water in all schools and will continue monitoring systems, conducting regular testing, and sharing updates as the territory-wide testing program progresses.
Related Links:
- Web Page: Lead Testing in JK-12 School Drinking Water
- Drinking Water Lead Testing in NWT Schools: Procedure for the Design, Collection, Analysis and Testing of Lead in Drinking Water for Northwest Territories Schools
- Report: Investigation into the Testing Program for Drinking Water in Northwest Territories Schools
- Note: This report has been redacted to remove position titles and other personally identifying details. Where a position title was removed, it has been replaced with the name of the organization the position belongs to.
- WSCC Worker's Report of Injury Form
- Monitoring and Testing of Water in the NWT
For more information
P.O. Box 1320
Yellowknife Northwest Territories
Canada X1A 2L9
www.gov.nt.ca
