About lead

Lead is a naturally occurring element that has many industrial uses. Children up to six years old are more sensitive to the effects of lead because they are still developing, and their bodies can absorb it more easily than adults. Even small amounts of lead can be harmful to young children, infants and pregnant women.

Exposure to lead can occur from a number of sources, including:

  • air
  • soil
  • food
  • some consumer products
  • drinking water

Blood lead levels of Canadians have declined by over 70% in the past 40 years due to ongoing actions to reduce lead exposure from all sources. Levels in children between 3 and 5 years old dropped by more than 45% from 2009 to 2019, showing that lead exposure is continually being reduced.

Drinking water, especially from schools or child care centres, generally accounts for a small fraction of total lead exposure.

Ontario Drinking Water Quality Standards are intended to protect human health. The potential effects of lead at the current standard of 10 micrograms per litre are very subtle and are not detectable on an individual level.

The law

By law, if you own or operate a school, private school or child care centre, you must:

  • flush your plumbing regularly
  • sample your water to test for lead

Source law

You will find a complete set of provincial rules relating to this activity at:

Guide for schools, private schools and child care centres on flushing and testing for lead

Introduction

This guide provides information to help you comply with Ontario Regulation 243/07, Schools, Private Schools and Child Care Centres made under the Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002 (SDWA). Ontario Regulation 243/07 is intended to reduce children’s exposure to lead in drinking water. The regulation requires the flushing of plumbing in schools, private schools and child care centres. Regular flushing has been shown to reduce the lead levels in water at drinking water fixtures. The regulation also requires sampling and testing to measure the concentration of lead in drinking water against the provincial drinking water quality standard for lead.

In this guide, drinking water fixture means all drinking water fountains and every tap that provides drinking water or is used to prepare food or drink for children under the age of 18.

Remember, this guide is only a summary, and should not be relied upon for compliance purposes. You must refer to the text of Ontario Regulation 243/07 to be clear about your specific requirements for flushing, sampling and testing drinking water for lead in Ontario schools, private schools and child care centres.

Facilities subject to Ontario Regulation 243/07

Subject to very limited exceptions, all schools and private schools as defined in the Education Act and child care centres as defined in the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 are subject to O. Reg. 243/07.

Important to know

Schools, private schools and child care centres with their own drinking water source (i.e., a groundwater well, a surface water system or cistern) that do not receive drinking water from a municipal drinking water distribution system are considered a designated facility and subject to both O. Reg. 243/07 and Ontario Regulation 170/03, Drinking Water Systems (O. Reg. 170/03) under the SDWA. Consult the SDWA, O. Reg. 170/03 and Providing safe drinking water to the public: A guide for operators of seasonal and non-residential drinking water systems for more information about your obligations if your school or child care centre is a designated facility.

An operator in this case means:

  • school operator – the school board to which the school belongs (for example, ABC District School Board)
  • private school operator – the person required to notify the Ministry of Education under s. 16 of the Education Act of the existence and operation of the school (for example, owner of ABC Private School)
  • child care centre operator – the person required to be licensed under section 6 of the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 to operate the child care centre (for example, owner of ABC Child Care Centre)

Ontario’s drinking water quality standard for lead

The Ontario drinking water quality standard for lead is 10 micrograms per litre. You may also see this standard written as 10 μg/L or as 0.010 milligrams per litre. The lead standard is found in Ontario Regulation 169/03, Ontario Drinking Water Quality Standards, made under the SDWA.

Daily or Weekly flushing

Schools, private schools and child care centres are required to flush their plumbing in accordance with O. Reg. 243/07. The frequency of flushing of a drinking water fixture depends on several factors including:

  • the age of the plumbing in the building; older buildings are more likely to have plumbing that contains lead
  • lead test results from previous drinking water sampling
  • whether it is an end of branch tap
  • whether there is a NSF-certified filter installed on a drinking water fixture

The following table provides guidance on how frequently you should flush.

Table 1: Criteria for flushing frequency
CriteriaFrequencyWhen

Any part of your plumbing was installed prior to 1990 and you have fewer than two consecutive years of lead test results

There has been an exceedancefootnote 1 of the standard for lead in the past 24 months

Your facility has been directed to flush daily

Flush daily

Flush every day that the school, private school or child care centre is open

Complete the flushing before the facility opens for the day

If the facility is open 24-hours then flush as early as practical in the day

Any part of your plumbing was installed prior to 1990, you have at least two consecutive years of lead test results and there has been no exceedance of the standard for lead in the past 24 months

No plumbing was installed prior to 1990 and there has been no exceedance of the standard for lead in the past 24 months.

Flush weekly

Flush on the first day that the school, private school or child care centre is open each week

Complete the flushing before the facility opens for the day. If the facility is open 24-hours then flush as early as practical in the day.

Applicable to all fixtures, except for end of branch taps.

Flushing is not required for:

  • fountains and taps where the most recent standing sample was at or below 1 μg/L, including with a NSF filter
  • taps that do not provide drinking water or are not used to prepare food or drink for children under 18 (unless they are an end of branch tap).

 

No flushing requiredN/A

A school or private school is considered to be open only on days when the facility is holding its programs, or providing its services for children under 18.

A child care centre is considered to be open when, at any time during the day, any of the children cared for are present in the facility.

Where and how to flush

  1. First, turn on the cold water for at least five minutes at the last tap on each branch or each run of pipe in the plumbing that serves a drinking water fixture.
  2. Then, turn on the cold water for at least 10 seconds at every drinking water fixture that requires flushing (see Table 1).
  3. Make a written record of the date, time and location for each fixture and the name of the person who performed the flushing. Flushing records should be maintained in a logbook and/or by using templates available from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks by calling the Registration Help Desk at Toll-free: 1-866-793-2588.
  4. If automatic flushers are used, record the name of the person who verified that the automatic flushing took place. Your records for automatic flushers need to be completed based on the frequency set out in the manufacturer’s instructions or at least once a month if no instructions are available.

End of branch taps

For most schools, the school operator will have building plans which indicate each branch of plumbing and where these branches end. For other facilities, you should contact the owner of the building to see if building plans are available. If your facility is located in a small building, the last end of branch tap, or run of pipe, is often the one located furthest from where the water pipe comes into the building.

Important to know

  • The minimum five-minute flushing of the plumbing is to allow water from the water main in the street or your well reach the drinking water fixtures used for flushing. You may need to flush your plumbing for a longer time depending on the length and size of the pipes through which the water travels.
  • You are not required to flush any drinking water fixtures in a part of your building that is not open during the entire week (if weekly flushing applies) or day (if daily flushing applies) or in a part of the building used for private student residences.
  • On days that you are not open, but other groups are using your facility (for example camps or community groups), we recommend that you advise them to perform flushing as a best practice if you are required to flush your facility daily.
  • If a drinking water fixture has an aerator, do not remove the aerator when flushing. An aerator is a screen unit that is threaded onto the end of a tap/faucet to control splashing and reduce water flow.
  • If the most recent standing sample for a drinking water fixture is at or below 1 µg/L, no flushing of that drinking water fixture is required. The exception to this rule is for end of branch taps which must be flushed.
    • A standing sample is the first sample you collect after waiting six hours or more since the plumbing was last used or, if six hours is impractical, the first sample collected after the longest period of non-use that is practical
  • If you are eligible to flush weekly and get a standing exceedance (but the flushed result was below the standard), you are required to flush the fixture that had the exceedance daily for 24 months.
  • If you receive a flushed exceedance, you are required to flush all of the plumbing in your facility daily for 24 months as it may indicate a more widespread lead problem in your plumbing.
    • A flushed sample is the second sample you collect, after the first sample (standing sample), a 5-minute flush and a 30-35 minute waiting period (see the sampling and testing for lead section for more information).
  • The ministry can require daily flushing at your facility if the chemistry of the water supplied to the building (for example, from the municipality) changes and has the potential to cause more lead to leach out of plumbing.
  • You may be able to reduce flushing by installing:
    • a filter that is certified for lead reduction at a non-end of branch tap—if you get a standing result at or below 1 µg/L after the filter is installed, the fixture t will be exempt from flushing
    • a new lead-free fixture
    • an automatic flusher, which will typically result in less water loss than manual flushing since they can flush for the exact amount of time required

More information on flushing

  • A quick reference At-A-Glance (PDF) poster on flushing.

Notes about opting to use filters

When conducting sampling on a drinking water fixture with a filter, you should not remove the filter.

  • A standing sample must be collected after the filter has been installed to verify the filter is working properly. Your standing sample result should be at or below 1 µg/L.
  • If a standing sample result at or below 1 µg/L is achieved, flushing is no longer required at that fixture.

All facilities that opt to use filters must meet the following conditions:

  • ensuring any filter or other device is certified to NSF standard 53, 58 or 62 and that the device or the packaging lists lead as one of the contaminants that will be reduced
  • following the manufacturer’s instructions and recommended cartridge replacement schedule
  • recording the date, time, and location of every filter maintenance activity

Call the Registration Help Desk at Toll-free: 1-866-793-2588 to obtain a template to help you track filter replacement.

Sampling and testing for lead

Drinking water samples must be sent to a laboratory licensed by the ministry for lead testing.

Finding a licensed laboratory

If you need help finding a licensed laboratory, see the list of laboratories licensed to test for lead.

It is important to contact a licensed laboratory to arrange for testing and to obtain sampling containers and instructions for the collection and delivery of samples prior to sampling.

The licensed laboratory will provide sample collection instructions that you must follow.

The laboratory will also provide  a sample submission chain of custody form. You must record the required information on this form and submit it along with your samples for testing. Call the laboratory or the ministry Registration Help Desk at Toll-free: 1-866-793-2588 before submitting your samples if you have questions about completing the form.

Informing the ministry of your selected laboratory

Once you’ve contracted a laboratory, you must submit the Drinking Water Information - Ontario Regulation 243/07 form, which includes contact and laboratory information, to the ministry.

Once we receive your registration form, the ministry will assign a unique reference number to your facility for the purposes of O. Reg. 243/07 form, called a Drinking Water Information System (DWIS) Number. We will send you the DWIS Number for your facility. You will use this DWIS Number when you are submitting samples to your selectedthe laboratory and interacting with the ministry.

You are required to submit an updated form to the ministry within 10 days each time you:

  • change or hire a new laboratory to do your lead testing
  • change the contact information for your facility (such as name, address, email)

If you are an operator of a school, private school or child care centre with multiple facilities under your care (such as a school board), you can submit one form and attach a list with supporting information if you are using the same licensed laboratory for multiple facilities.

If you are using this option, please ensure your attached list includes information needed to complete all fields for every facility listed.

Completing chain of custody forms

You should begin by making an inventory of all drinking water fixtures in your facility. Give each fixture its own unique identifier, for example T001 for tap 1.

You may also want to create a map of your facility that uses the unique identifier to show where each fixture is in the building or plumbing plan. The unique identifier should also be used on:

  • the sample bottle
  • chain of custody form
  • any templates you use for tracking flushing, sampling and filter use

You can get an editable template to help you track your fixture inventory by calling the Registration Help Desk at Toll-free: 1-866-793-2588.

You can submit all samples on a single chain of custody form when they are collected from one facility and are under the same Drinking Water System number.

When completing the chain of custody form, include:

  • the unique identifier in the form’s description or location field
  • whether the fixture is a tap or fountain, if a filter is used, and the location of the fixture. For example:
    • T001-tap-filter-kitchen
    • F002-fountain-2nd floor/northwest wing

When to take samples

Newly opened schools and child care facilities must collect at least one set of samples from a drinking water fixture and have them tested for lead within 30 days of opening.

After the initial set of samples has been collected, new facilities must also sample at least once annually during the subsequent May 1 to October 31 sampling period.

New child care centres and schools with a primary division have three years from the date that their facility opens to sample all of their drinking water fixtures.

All other new schools have five years from the date the facility opens to sample all their drinking water fixtures.

We recommends you develop a schedule to meet your three-year or five-year timeline. You must sample a minimum of one fixture per year.

Samples must be taken between May 1 and October 31 because:

  • lead is more soluble at higher temperatures
  • the water supply may be more vulnerable to exceedances during the warmer months

Once you have documentation that all of the drinking water fixtures in your facility have been sampled at least once, you must take one set of samples annually or once every three years if your facility is eligible for a reduced sampling.

Note: this applies to all facilities.

For future sampling, we recommend that you rotate where you take your sample. We suggest you start with the fixture that has gone the longest without being sampled or take a sample from a fixture where lead issues have been identified.

Adding or replacing drinking water fixtures

When you add or replace a drinking water fixture, you should take a single standing sample before using it to confirm that the water from the fixture meets the drinking water quality standard for lead.

You do not need to wait until the May to October sampling window to complete this post-installation sample.

Sampling instructions

For each set of Ontario Regulation 243/07 samples, you must collect two one-litre samples from each drinking water fixture.

Your laboratory will provide you with sample bottles. The size of the bottles provided may vary. They may be one-litre or multiple smaller bottles that add up to the one-litre needed for your sample.

If the drinking water fixture has an aerator or a filter, the aerator or filter must not be removed while you take the samples.

  • You must collect the first of the two required one-litre samples after six hours or more have passed since the plumbing was last used. This sample is your standing sample. If it is not practical to leave the plumbing unused for six hours or more, the sample should be taken immediately after the longest practical time period with no usage of the plumbing.
  • Take the sample using the instructions provided by the laboratory and follow these rules:
    • each one-litre sample must be of cold water taken during a single continuous period and must include the first water that comes out of the drinking water fixture after it is turned on
    • each one-litre sample must be taken with water flowing at a rate that approximates normal use and does not allow water to splash out of the sample container as best as possible
    • unless your laboratory directs otherwise, more than one container may be used to take each of the required one-litre samples as long as the time taken to switch from one container to the next is minimized
  • Immediately after taking the first one-litre sample, flush the drinking water fixture for at least five minutes.
  • Following this five-minute flushing, turn the drinking water fixture off and leave it unused for at least 30 minutes and not more than 35 minutes. If possible, leave all of the plumbing unused during this time period.
  • Immediately after the 30 to 35 minutes of the plumbing not being used, take the second one-litre sample of cold water from the same drinking water fixture. Take the sample in accordance with the instructions and rules described above for the collection of the first sample. This sample is called your flushed sample.
  • Record the date, time and location of each sample taken, the estimated length of the period that the plumbing was not being used prior to taking the first of the two required one-litre samples, the location in the building where the sample was taken and the name of the person who took the sample. The ministry can provide you with an editable template to help you track sampling, or you may use a logbook. To obtain a template call the Registration Help Desk at Toll-free: 1-866-793-2588.
  • When sending the two samples to the licensed laboratory, it is important to clearly identify the samples as follows:
    • Standing: The first sample taken after six or more hours when the plumbing is not used.
    • Flushed: The second sample taken after flushing the plumbing for a minimum of five minutes followed by 30-35 minutes when the plumbing is not used.
  • Deliver the samples in accordance with the instructions from the laboratory that you have contracted with to conduct the lead testing.
  • Note: The cost to test water for lead varies across the province. You may want to look into contacting laboratories that can provide lead testing services to compare pricing. See the list of laboratories that are licensed to test for lead.

Taking multiple samples in a single day

You can take multiple samples in the same facility on the same day. To ensure accurate results, it is important that you collect all standing samples before any flushing takes place. Drinking water fixtures being sampled on the same day should not be too close to one another to ensure all samples collected are from water that has been standing in the plumbing. The following can help you determine whether two sampling locations are too close: 1 litre of water is contained in approximately 26 feet of ½ inch copper pipe or 12 feet of ¾ inch copper pipe.

For a drinking water fountain with a filling station, you must sample the different parts on a different day. For example, sample the fountain on Monday and the filling station on Tuesday.

Steps if sampling is done on a day when daily or weekly flushing is required

If you are flushing your facility’s plumbing and taking your lead samples on the same day, Figure 1 shows the sequence in which the steps for both requirements should be taken.

Figures 1-5: Steps for taking multiple samples on the same day.

Image
Step 1: Do not use plumbing for at least six hours
Step 1: Do not use plumbing for at least six hours
Image
Step 2: Collect all standing samples
Image
Step 3: Flush plumbing for at least five minutes and conduct 10-second tap/flushing
Image
Step 4: Do not use plumbing for 30-35 minutes
Image
Step 5: Collect all flushed samples

Reduced sampling

You can reduce your annual lead sampling frequency to once every three years if:

  • your two most recent years of test results for lead, from both standing and flushed samples, do not exceed the drinking water standard for lead
  • all drinking water fixtures throughout the facility have been sampled at least once since June 7, 2007
  • a Drinking Water Information – Ontario Regulation 243/07 has been submitted to the ministry

If you are currently on a reduced sampling schedule and have already sampled all of your facility’s drinking water fixtures, then the reduced sampling schedule remains valid.

More information on sampling

A quick reference At-A-Glance (PDF) poster on sampling.

Reporting

Ontario Regulation 243/07 sets out when and with whom laboratory test results must be shared.

  • Your licensed laboratory is required to send you all test results within 10 days. Laboratories will also send all test results to the ministry within this timeframe.
  • If the test results are above the standard for lead or any other drinking water quality chemical standard set out in Ontario Regulation 169/03 (Ontario Drinking Water Quality Standards), the laboratory must provide a written report on the exceedance within 24 hours of the laboratory’s internal approval of the test result by personal delivery, fax or e-mail to:
    • the operator of the school, private school or child care centre
    • the ministry’s Spills Action Centre
    • the local medical officer of health
  • This written report will be sent in a form called a Notice of Lead Exceedance Test Results (LEN), which is completed in part by the licensed laboratory and in part by the operator of the facility.
  • The operator of a facility who receives a LEN form from the laboratory is required to complete Section D-1 of the form as directed and to give a copy of it by personal delivery, fax or e-mail within 24 hours to:
    • the local medical officer of health
    • the ministry’s Spills Action Centre
    • the Ministry of Education, if a school or child care centre
    • every other co-located facility relying on the same set of samples
  • The operator must also take immediate corrective actions until the issue is resolved in accordance with the requirements of Ontario Regulation 243/07 and/or as directed by the local medical officer of health. Once corrective actions are taken and the issue is resolved, the operator of the facility is required to submit a completed Section D-2: Issue Resolution on the LEN form within seven days after the resolution to:
    • the local medical officer of health
    • the ministry’s Spills Action Centre
    • Ministry of Education, if a school or child care centre
    • every other co-located facility relying on the same set of samples
  • If you have an exceedance of the drinking water quality standard for lead, you can expect to be contacted by a ministry water inspector. This inspector will review whether you have met your regulatory obligation for corrective actions under Ontario Regulation 243/07 including any actions directed by the local medical officer of health if applicable.

Test data results from schools, private schools and child care centres are also posted on Ontario’s Open Data Catalogue for the public’s awareness.

Corrective action

What to do if you get a lead exceedance in a standing sample

  • Follow the directions in the Reporting section on this page to report the exceedance
  • Flush the fixture daily for 24 months
  • Take all steps directed by the local medical officer of health
  • Consider other options to permanently address the lead exceedance include such as installing a filter or replacing the fixture. This may also allow you to stop flushing daily

What to do if you get a lead exceedance in a flushed sample

Render the drinking water fixture inaccessible until the issue is resolved. You must also:

  • follow the directions in the Reporting section on this page to report the exceedance
  • flush all fixtures within the facility daily for 24 months
  • take all steps directed by the local medical officer of health
    • steps may include increased flushing time, resampling, replacing the fixture or installing a filter
  • even if it is not required by the local medical officer of health, you should consider options to permanently address the lead exceedance, such as installing a filter or replacing the fixture

Exceedances in resamples

In cases where a fixture continues to exceed the standard for lead, the operator must continue to carry out corrective actions until the issue is considered to be resolved under O. Reg. 243/07, including any steps directed by the local medical officer of health.

It is recommended that the operator:

  • complete an assessment of the facility’s plumbing to determine whether pipes, solder, fittings or drinking water fixtures could be the source of lead in drinking water. Parts of the drinking water plumbing system may need replacement
  • develop a longer-term remediation action plan under the advice of the local medical officer of health that can be shared with a ministry water inspector if requested

Note: parts of the drinking water plumbing system may need replacement

If you need help on how to locate the source and remedy the problem, you can find information in a resource guide called, A Manual for Operators of Schools, Private Schools and Child Care Centres with Excess Lead in their Drinking Water.

Figure 6: Decision tree for lead testing sample results

Decision tree

Figure 6: This figure is a decision tree that describes what actions should be taken based on lead testing sample results.

I got my lead test results back from the lab. Now what? The following decision tree will help you know what actions you should take based on the results of your lead testing sample results.

You receive results from the lab.

Sample results are adverse (greater than the standard for lead) if a flushed or standing sample result is greater than 10:

  • if flushed result is greater than 10:
    • render this drinking water fixture inaccessible until the issue is resolved
    • flush all drinking water fixtures daily
    • take corrective actions, if any, as directed by local medical officer of health
  • if standing is greater than 10:
    • flush this drinking water fixture daily
    • take corrective actions, if any, as directed by local medical officer of health

Possible corrective actions you may need to do:

  • Increase flushing: Resampling may be needed to ensure water from the drinking water fixture is below the standard
  • Install a NSF filter: A resample after the installation of the filter will be necessary to confirm the filter is working properly and that the water from the drinking water fixture is at or below the standard
  • Replace fixture: Useful if fixture is the source of the lead contamination
  • Permanently render fixture unusable: An option of last resort if other solutions do not correct the problem

Sample results are good (at or below the standard for lead) if flushed or standing result is at or below 10:

  • if standing and flushed results isare both at or below 10, has this drinking water fixture received an exceedance in the past 24 months?
    • if no, flush this drinking water fixture weekly
    • if yes, if exceedance was in a standing sample, flush this drinking water fixture daily. If exceedance was in a flushed sample, flush all drinking water fixtures daily
  • If standing result is at or below 1, this drinking water fixture is exempted from flushing

Please note: Where a facility has had a flushed exceedances within the past 24 months, every fixture must be flushed daily with the exception of fixtures where the most recent 'standing' result was at or below 1 µg/L (this includes a fixture that has been replaced).

Information and retaining records

Information to be available to the public on site

The operator of a school, private school or child care centre must ensure that the following information is available to the public during normal business hours and without charge at the facility:

  • A copy of every record made within the past two years in relation to flushing and sample collection
  • A copy of every test result for samples taken to complete testing of all fountains and drinking water taps and for any annual or reduced sampling conducted to comply with Ontario Regulation 243/07 or an Order over the past two years
  • A copy of every test result from a sample under the regulation indicating an exceedance of any standard prescribed by Schedule 2 of the Ontario Drinking Water Quality Standards (O. Reg. 169/03 made under the Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002) over the past two years
  • A copy of O. Reg. 243/07 (Schools, Private Schools and Child Care Centres)

Records

The operator of a school, private school or child care centre must also ensure that the following original documents and other records are kept for at least six years:

  • Every record made in relation to flushing and sample collection
  • Every test result for samples taken under the regulation, including a director’s direction, or an order
  • Every test result from a sample under the regulation indicating an exceedance of an Ontario Drinking Water Quality Standard
  • Every record related to filter maintenance or replacement including the manufacturer’s instructions
  • A copy of every director’s direction given under O. Reg. 243/07 section 4, subsection 5 (2.2) and section 5.1

Each facility is responsible for keeping all records related to the regulation and making the test results and records available to the public. Facilities that rely on other operators to conduct required sampling must request copies of all sampling records and test results and keep records updated.

A provincial officer may, at any time, request a copy of a document or record required to be prepared and kept under Ontario Regulation 243/07. This may be done in person, by phone or by email during an inspection. If a Provincial Officer makes a request to see a document or record, the operator of the school, private school or child care centre must provide this document or record within a specified timeframe.

Co-located facilities

If you are a school, private school or child care centre operator and the plumbing of your facility is shared by more than one school, private school or child care centre, the facilities are considered co-located.

One operator may conduct the flushing at co-located facilities if there is an agreement between all the operators that ensures that the plumbing in each facility is being properly flushed. One operator may conduct the flushing at co-located facilities if there is an agreement between all the operators that ensures that the plumbing in each facility is being properly flushed. We recommend you have a written agreement with the other operator.

You are required to complete the co-located facilities section of the registration form.

Sampling

If your facility is co-located with another facility and sampling responsibilities are shared or performed on your behalf, you are still responsible to ensure the sampling is conducted properly.

If you are sampling for a co-located facility, make sure the DWIS number on the chain of custody form is from the facility the sample was taken from. For example, use the child care centre’sDWIS number for samples taken within their area of responsibility.

Co-located facilities are able to share a single set of samples after all drinking water fixtures in both of the facilities have been sampled at least once.

When an agreement is made to share samples among multiple facilities, all participants should submit an updated form to the ministry.

Reporting

If the test result for the shared sample exceeds the drinking water quality standard for lead, the facility operator that submitted the samples will receive a Notice of Lead Exceedance Test Results (LEN) form from the laboratory.

The operator has 24 hours to:

  • complete Section D-1: Exceedance Notification on the LEN form (including adding the co-located facilities names and Drinking Water Information System numbers)
  • provide the LEN form to the co-located facility operators, the ministry’s Spills Action Centre, the local medical officer of health, and the Ministry of Education (if applicable.)

The co-located operators (who are sharing the sample) are required to:

  • confirm their information is correct on the LEN form
  • submit a copy of the LEN form to the Ministry of Education, if applicable

Information for parents and guardians on lead exceedances

When a laboratory detects an exceedance of the standard for lead in a school, private school or child care centre’s drinking water sample, the local public health unit and the ministry must be notified within 24 hours.

Facility owners must take immediate action at any tap or fountain where a test result from a flushed sample does not meet the standard, including:

  • disconnecting or covering the tap or fountain so that it is inaccessible to children until the issue is resolved
  • taking any other steps as directed by the local medical officer of health

Corrective actions can include:

  • replacing or removing the fixture
  • increasing flushing
  • installing a filter certified for lead reduction
  • resampling the fixture that had the exceedance
  • taking any other measures as directed by the local medical officer of health

When exceedances occur, ministry staff follow up to confirm all corrective actions were implemented by the facility owner, including actions required by the local medical officer of health.

Records

There are also regulatory requirements that require facilities to have certain information available to the public for free, during normal business hours.

Test data results from schools, private schools and child care centres are also posted on Ontario’s Open Data Catalogue.

Contact us

If you have additional questions or would like more information about drinking water, contact the ministry’s Lead Hotline: