Yellowknife high school under public health order over elevated lead levels in water | CBC News
École Sir John Franklin High School in Yellowknife is the latest N.W.T. to show elevated levels of lead in its drinking water — though the school has been using bottled water for months.
École Sir John Franklin latest N.W.T. school to show lead in drinking water above recommended levels
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École Sir John Franklin High School in Yellowknife is the latest N.W.T. school to show elevated levels of lead in its drinking water — though the school has been using bottled water for months.
In a letter to staff and families Wednesday, Yellowknife Education District 1 superintendent Shirley Zouboules said the school is now under a public health order after tests showed elevated levels of lead and copper above Canadian standards.
The N.W.T. government also confirmed the test results in a news release Wednesday.
Several other schools across the territory have found lead in their water systems that exceeded Health Canada guidelines since the N.W.T. government launched systematic testing last October.
As a precaution, water fixtures and taps at Sir John were taken out of service earlier this year and bottled water was used instead.
Zouboules said these measures will remain in place until the water is deemed safe to drink.
The Northwest Territories government said it will replace fixtures or install water filters as needed at the affected schools.