City says Saskatoon drinking water is safe

The City of Saskatoon gave an update on the lead pipe replacement program Monday afternoon.

The update was on the same day that a report came out showing that Saskatoon’s drinking water has some of the highest levels of lead in the country.

The report was investigated for more than a year by 120 journalists and student journalists. It found several regions that had higher than what is considered to be safe levels of lead in their water. In Saskatchewan — Saskatoon, Regina and Moose Jaw were tested for the report, and all three showed higher levels than what is acceptable by Health Canada.

Angela Gardiner, General Manager Utilities and Environment said the majority of neighbourhoods in Saskatoon do not have lead pipe connections, but the older communities still do.

“Our city is committed to removing all our remaining underground pipes containing lead. We expect to have all connections replaced by 2026,” said Gardiner. “Of the 4,900 lead water connections that we’ve identified, more than 2,500 have already been replaced.

Gardiner said the city works hard to educate people who live in the older neighbourhoods that still have lead pipe connections, by sharing information on how to minimize any lead that could be getting into the water through the old pipes.

“We recommend flushing for five minutes prior to consuming the water. Flushing doesn’t just mean  putting your tap on and wasting that water — it’s flushing toilets, having showers, doing laundry. All those things can help bring fresh water into the system,” said Gardiner.

Gardiner said they don’t believe anyone is any danger and by flushing the lines, it reduces the lead level content to the Health Canada regulations and limits.

Gardiner said the line flushing is important in the areas where there are still lead pipes because the lead levels rise if the water is sitting stagnant for long periods.