Safe Drinking Water
The Government of Ontario regulates drinking water quality in schools
In accordance with this legislation, Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board tests for lead in drinking water at all schools on an annual basis. In 2017, new amendments to Ontario Safe Drinking Water regulations were introduced with changes impacting schools and childcare centres.
This webpage contains information including A Safe Drinking Water Toolkit to keep educators and parents informed about current water quality standards.
If you have further questions or comments about water quality, please contact:
Plant Department
Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board
Tel: (807) 625-1595
Message from the Director of Education
On behalf of Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board, thank you for your interest in the water quality standards of our schools.
Water is a natural gift from God that sustains all life forms. It is essential to growth, health and prosperity. Ensuring safe and healthy water sources for students, staff and visitors is a responsibility that we take very seriously.
As a typical practice, we follow provincial standards when it comes to water quality. This means ensuring the appropriate systems, policies and procedures are in place to safeguard our children’s health while they learn, and to ensure compliance with Ontario regulatory requirements.
Annual water testing is conducted by independent inspectors from True Grit Consulting at all schools in accordance with the Safe Drinking Water Act. O. Reg 243/07. If and when quality issues are identified, an immediate investigation is conducted, and corrective measures are undertaken to ensure water quality levels are returned to provincial standard.
Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board continues to ensure that all schools have arrangements in place to plan, monitor, review and improve measures to address Health & Safety performance. This includes continued water quality testing by independent inspectors who report each year.
Annual water testing is conducted by independent inspectors from True Grit Consulting at all schools in accordance with the Safe Drinking Water Act. O. Reg 243/07. If and when quality issues are identified, an immediate investigation is conducted, and corrective measures are undertaken to ensure water quality levels are returned to provincial standard.As a parent and educator, I can say with confidence that Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board offers the highest standards of drinking water in our schools. We assure students, parents and staff that we can turn on our taps with the certainty of a safe and clean supply.
Sincerely,
Pino Tassone,
Director of Education
"The human right to safe drinking water and sanitation is derived from the right to an adequate standard of living and inextricably related to the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, as well as the right to life and human dignity.”
– Human Rights Council dignity.
Government Regulations
Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board works collaboratively with the Government of Ontario to uphold current provincial regulations for safe drinking water and schools. We adhere to the following regulations:
1.Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 32
The purposes of this Act are:
1. To recognize that the people of Ontario are entitled to expect their drinking water to be safe.
2. To provide for the protection of human health and the prevention of drinking water health hazards through the control and regulation of drinking water systems and drinking water testing. 2002, c. 32, s. 1.
The full regulation is available online to print or download:
https://www.ontario.ca/laws/ statute/02s32?search=Reg%20243%2F07
2. Ontario Regulation 243/07 (Schools, Private Schools and Child Care Centres) under Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 32
This regulation is part of the Safe Drinking Water Act and has been recently updated.
It is intended to reduce children’s exposure to lead in drinking water. The regulation requires the flushing of plumbing in schools, private schools and child care centres. Flushing has been shown to reduce lead levels in water at drinking water fixtures.
The regulation also requires sampling and testing to measure the concentration of lead in drinking water against the provincial drinking water quality standard for lead.
The full regulation is available online to print or download:
https://www.ontario.ca/laws/ regulation/070243?search=Reg%20243%2F07
Our Testing Procedures
Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board employees the following water quality assurance procedures:
- A comprehensive inventory of drinking taps and faucets is maintained for all schools.
- Testing for lead and other chemicals in water sources takes place annually in ALL Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board schools.
- To ensure the highest standards of testing, Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board has retained the services of expert inspectors from True Grit Consulting.
- Water samples are tested in professional and accredited laboratories annually according to provincial water testing standards and in accordance with the Safe Drinking Water Act. O. Reg 243/07.
- If and when quality issues are identified, an immediate investigation is conducted, and corrective measures are undertaken to ensure water quality levels are returned to provincial standard.
- All students are educated about the signage and how it should be followed for safe water consumption.
- If and when water quality issues are identified, Principals and teachers of the school are immediately notified.
- True Grit Consulting, Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board and School Principals are engaged collaboratively on root cause analysis, problem- solving, corrective actions and ongoing monitoring.
- Parents are notified when lead levels in exceedance of Ontario regulations are detected and reported in their child’s classroom.
- Annual water test results are made available for public information by Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board.
- Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board follows all mandatory notification procedures to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Ministry of Education and Public Health Unit.
Our Testing Results
Our Safe Drinking Water Toolkit
This Toolkit was developed by Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board to inform educators and parents about water quality standards and practises in our schools. It provides educators with current guidelines for water quality standards as well as information about water quality procedures. It is also intended to provide parents with the information they need to feel confident about their child’s health and well-being in our schools. Above all, this Toolkit supports awareness and engagement throughout our school community related to water issues. Please see the Toolkit below
Safe Drinking Water Toolkit