Lead in Water

INFRASTRUCTURE One of the reasons why some communities Health Canada has have not been able to replace lead pipes is updated its guideline for because they don’t have accurate record lead in drinking water. of where pipes are buried. New tools, like The maximum acceptable artificial intelligence, may be able to help concentration is now to municipalities find this information. 0.005 milligrams per litre. A Roadmap for Lead What is needed to remove lead from drinking water in Canada? BY SIMRAN CHATTHA WHAT’S HOLDING US BACK from unachievable,” according to Michele how lead pipe replacement programs replacing lead pipes in Canada? What are Grenier, executive director of the Ontario would be funded if municipalities were some tools that can be used to incentivize Water Works Association (OWWA). “So to accelerate the removal of lead pipes. and accelerate the replacement of lead what it asked was: what is the blood lead At the same time, the mainstream pipes? What more is needed to address level, in micrograms per decilitre, at reporting led to a number of important challenges with replacing lead pipes? which there are no observable or minimal conversations about the need to replace These are some of the important observable health effects in children?” lead pipes in communities across Canada. questions that stakeholders across “Health Canada recognized that water One of these conversations took place Canada are asking to ultimately ensure is not the only means of lead exposure during a Lead Roundtable hosted by that residents have access to safe, clean in children so it set a guideline that said Water Canada and its sister magazine, drinking water. Solutions are available that the concentration of lead in drinking ReNew Canada, in January 2020. The to help communities efficiently and water cannot be more than 0.005 roundtable brought together about 20 effectively replace lead infrastructure. milligrams per litre,” Grenier added. “It’s industry stakeholders that represented Before we dive into the solutions, let’s related back to minimizing blood lead associations, academia, utilities, look at the bigger picture. levels and it’s the world standard at this technology providers, and infrastructure point to my knowledge.” firms to answer some key questions, Current state of affairs in Canada In November 2019, eight months after including the ones below. In March 2019, Health Canada set a new Health Canada’s updated guideline was guideline for the maximum acceptable released, mainstream media outlets in What’s holding municipalities concentration of lead in drinking water. Canada reported on elevated lead levels back from replacing lead pipes? The new concentration was lowered to in the drinking water of several cities One of the challenges discussed during 0.005 milligrams per litre, making it across the country. the Lead Roundtable hosted by Water more stringent than the 0.01 milligram The fear created by the mainstream Canada and ReNew Canada was that per litre guideline that was set in 1992. media storm was unfounded to an many communities don’t have accurate “Health Canada’s review stated extent. The reporting didn’t consider the records of where their pipes are buried. that there is no safe level of lead but municipal programs already underway to The lack of information had led an setting a guideline of zero is completely replace lead pipes. It also didn’t consider obvious problem in some communities: 10 MARCH/APRIL 2020 INFRASTRUCTURE municipalities can’t replace all of their and mayors are not willing to take that water sector, count on the senior levels lead pipes if they don’t know where risk. All day long.” of government to create mandatory they’re located. Part of this comes down to the fact that standards that will identify our unseen Politics also came up as a factor “it is hard to get support for any water projects as a higher priority,” added that’s holding communities back from and wastewater infrastructure projects Haller. “Canadian communities compete replacing lead pipes. when they have to compete within against each other for being healthy, “The elephant in the room, that no one a limited budget against recreation, livable cities, so such regulations (with is talking about, is politics,” said Shaun transit, housing, policing, fire and more,” support) put us all on even footing.” McKaigue, president and chief executive said Robert Haller, executive director of officer of FER-PAL Infrastructure. the Canadian Water and Wastewater What are some tools that can be used “Nothing happens without politics. I Association (CWWA). to incentivize and accelerate the spend my life talking with mayors and It’s not to say though that local replacement of lead pipes? trying to get them to spend money.” governments are unwilling to replace lead “On what?” asked McKaigue. “Mayors infrastructure. Tools can be provided, by During Water Canada’s and ReNew will say ‘Shaun, you’re a nice guy. But I provincial governments as an example, Canada’s Lead Roundtable, one of the have to get re-elected three years from to local governments that help build the suggestions brought forward by multiple now. Right now, you turn on the tap and case for replacing lead infrastructure. attendees was to have a role for insurance water comes out. You want me to spend a “When we ask the provincial or companies—they could offer a discount million dollars. After I spend the million federal governments to place conditions on premiums if homeowners replace the dollars of the tax payers money, I turn on on funding—such as having an asset lead pipes in their homes. the tap and water comes out. Why would management plan or full-cost pricing—it “The simple example I can think of I do that? How do I get a vote out of it?’” seems like we are asking them to force us is if you put winter tires on your car, “Unless the mayor is supported by to act intelligently, the way we want to,” you send that information in to your the voter, it doesn’t matter,” added Haller said. insurance company, you get a reduction McKaigue. “The risk is losing the election “Mayors, and those of us in the on your premium,” said Andy Manahan, MARCH/APRIL 2020 11 INFRASTRUCTURE Credit: Water Canada Water Credit: About 20 attendees participated in the Lead Roundtable hosted by Water Canada and its sister magazine ReNew Canada in January 2020. executive director of the Residential and “Replacing kitech in a one-bedroom solution and a long-term solution, Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario condo costs about $5,000 dollars,” Reid which is very similar to what the City of (RCCAO). “Similarly, home or health said. “For a three-bedroom condo, the Toronto did,” Cautillo added. “We need insurance companies could say ‘We’d cost is just over $10,000. If you look to make sure that municipalities have like to have a report on lead in your at condominium owners compared an asset management plan in place and house. Could you give us that? If you to detached property owners, that’s make it so that municipalities can tell don’t have lead pipes, we’ll give you a proportionate to the value of their their constituents that they’re going to 10 per cent deduction.’” properties. To some, that’s a very big hit.” address high-risk items in the short-term Insurance premiums were successfully and the remaining items in the long-term used to incentivize and accelerate to eliminate lead.” What more is needed to address the replacement of kitec pipes. The Effective communication, particularly challenges with replacing lead pipes? approach in that case was slightly with customers, was also identified as different but it provided an example One of the things municipalities an important factor in ensuring the lead where the insurance sector played an need to do is identify the lead priority pipe replacement programs are a success. important role in incentivizing the areas within their communities so “I think a key thing that’s currently replacement of pipes. that priorities for replacement can be missing is communication with the “Thousands of condominiums in set, according to stakeholders who customer,” said Stephen Craik, director Toronto were equipped with kitec pipes, participated in the Lead Roundtable of quality assurance and environment at which have a risk of failure, in their hosted by Water Canada and ReNew EPCOR Water Canada. “Communication plumbing,” said Nick Reid, executive Canada. In other words, municipalities is very, very, very important. Customers director of Ryerson Urban Water. “They need to undertake asset management don’t like to learn that they and their were installed between 1995 and 2005 planning so that they can ensure they kids have been living in a home with a and had a 12-year life before they are have the proper resources to replace all lead service line when they when they expected to fail. If a condo had kitech of the lead pipes in their communities. weren’t aware of it. That’s bad news for plumbing, property owners could be “There’s no one fix because there the customer and bad news for the utility. faced with up to a $20,000 insurance are different systems throughout the Identifying where the lead service lines deductible for a flood. That’s the incentive province,” said Giovanni Cautillo, are and communicating with the residents that all these condominium owners had executive director of the Ontario Sewer is an important part of the process.” WC to replace the kitech.” and Watermain Construction Association At the same time, this approach (OSWCA). “I think we need to give raises questions about equity.

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