The City of Prince George has conducted a safe drinking water study to test the quality of water in drinking fountains. The city found the water to be safe, however, in some instances, users are advised to briefly run faucets prior to consumption.

During the study, the City of Prince George took drinking water samples from 24 civic facilities throughout the city to test both static water and water sampled after flowing for 30 seconds. The results indicated that all of the water taken from faucets after flowing contained lead concentrations below the Maximum Acceptable Concentration as set by the Canadian Drinking Water Guidelines.

The static water tests in 13 facilities delivered water that exceeded the Maximum Acceptable Concentration for lead.

Results indicated that sink faucets used less frequently may have higher concentrations of lead due to the fact that there is less opportunity for the system to be flushed.

The study also found that brass plumbing products installed in recent years contain lead even though the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) has adopted a low lead requirement for potable water plumbing products.

“Although lead piping was banned in Canada in the 1970s and lead in solder in 1986, some plumbing fittings, both in new and older buildings, may still contain lead that can be absorbed into immobile or stationary water. In plumbing that is used relatively infrequently, this may cause a buildup of lead in the immobile water,” said City General Manager of Public Works and Engineering Dave Dyer. “This is why it is recommended that people run the water for drinking purposes for about 30 seconds as suggested in the Canadian Drinking Water Guidelines for lead.”

“Essentially, the plumbing in city buildings delivers water that is safe to drink. To further ensure that lead concentrations are consistently below the Canadian Drinking Water Guidelines, staff is implementing an action plan that includes replacement of plumbing fixtures that do not meet the CSA low lead requirement for potable water plumbing products,” said Dyer.  

There will be discussion around the lead investigation report during the December 4th City of Prince George City Council meeting. The meeting is set to take place at City Hall at 6 p.m. A live stream will be available and can be viewed by clicking here.