The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) says elevated lead levels in drinking water fixtures have triggered public health orders in some schools across the territory, while testing at others has confirmed water quality meets federal guidelines.
Recent results show that some fixtures at Echo Dene School in Acho Dene Koe, Inualthuyak School in Sachs Harbour, and Ɂehtseo Ayha School in Délı̨nę exceed the lead levels guideline of 5 micrograms per litre under the Health Canada’s Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality.
The Office of the Chief Public Health Officer has issued Public Health Orders for the affected schools.
At these locations, impacted water fountains and fixtures have been taken out of service, and alternative drinking water is being provided. At Ɂehtseo Ayha School, some fixtures will remain in use under a daily flushing protocol requiring taps to run for three minutes each morning until mitigation work is complete.
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The GNWT said it will identify and implement corrective measures, which may include replacing fixtures or installing filtration systems. Follow-up testing will be conducted after remediation, and affected fixtures will only return to service once water quality meets health standards and receives approval from the chief public health officer.
In contrast, testing at several other schools found no exceedances. Charles Tetcho School in Sambaa K’e, K’alemi Dene School in Ndı̨lǫ, Charles Yohin School in Nahanni Butte, and Mangilaluk School in Tuktoyaktuk all recorded lead levels below the maximum acceptable concentration (MAC), allowing normal use of drinking water fixtures. Mangilaluk School, currently under renovation, will undergo additional testing once construction is complete.
The testing is part of the GNWT’s broader commitment to assess drinking water quality in every school across the territory. A priority-based protocol determines the testing order, taking into account factors such as building age, historical water quality data, and student demographics, though officials note testing may also be conducted opportunistically when staff are already travelling to communities.
To support safety measures, the GNWT said it will reimburse education bodies for reasonable costs associated with providing alternative drinking water during testing and remediation, aiming to ensure budget constraints do not delay precautionary actions.
Territorial officials say the program will continue with ongoing monitoring, regular testing, and public updates as results become available.
