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May 10, 2016 - 1:00 PM
NORTH OKANAGAN - The North Okanagan-Shuswap is joining school districts around the province in testing its water for lead.
On the heels of school districts in Prince Rupert and the South Okanagan discovering elevated lead levels in their tap water, School District 83 is developing a plan to test its own schools.
All school districts have been directed by the province to test their water, spokesperson Alice Hucul says.
“In light of what’s happened in Prince Rupert and other school districts, they’ve asked us to do a check,” Hucul says.
Five of the district’s schools are on well water and are already tested regularly to ensure potability. Those schools will now also be tested specifically for lead, while a plan for the rest of the facilities, which are serviced by city water, will be implemented as soon as possible.
The Okanagan Skaha School District announced last week it discovered elevated lead levels in three Penticton schools and believes the source is lead in pipes and plumbing components.
No one was available from the Vernon School District to comment on water testing.
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