Chief Julius School in Fort McPherson, N.W.T., is the latest in the territory to be found to have dangerously elevated levels of lead in its drinking water.

In a Thursday release, the Department of Infrastructure confirmed the results of testing at the school showed levels of lead in some classrooms more than 37 times Health Canada’s maximum acceptable concentration.

Water from fully half of the school’s fixtures has been deemed unfit for consumption. One fixture also tested above acceptable limits for copper contamination.

High levels of lead exposure can have negative impacts on neurological development and behaviour. Long-term exposure to high copper levels can damage the liver and kidneys.

By order of the territory’s chief public health officer, affected fixtures “will be out of service,” the release says, “and an alternative drinking water source will be provided, where it is not already in place.”

Ndilǫ learning centre deemed safe

In the same release, the department confirmed testing at Ndilǫ‘s new Community Learning Centre showed all fixtures were safe, testing well below Health Canada limits.

The centre is not currently in use, but has been approved for JK-12 classes by Ndilǫ‘s district education authority.

The testing is the result of a new initiative, launched in October, to test drinking water at all of the territory’s schools.

So far, more than half a dozen schools with high lead concentrations in some water fixtures have been identified.

The initiative was prompted by earlier testing in 2025 that found elevated lead levels in water at three Yellowknife schools.

The release says the government “remains committed to ensuring safe drinking water in all schools,” and will fund “corrective measures” to bring the water back within standards.