Lead levels in Prince Rupert drinking water could point to B.C.-wide problems

Over the past year, reporters at Global News have reviewed more than 79,000 water tests in 33 cities nation-wide. They found hundreds of thousands of Canadians have been unknowingly exposed to lead, in potentially dangerous concentrations, and some of them are right here in our region.

In Global News report, they discussed how cities are using the flush test to determine the amount of lead in drinking water. The test, however, has come under criticism because in order to test if there is lead in the water, they must leave the tap running for five minutes before obtaining a sample. Critics believe that this is not how most people consume water.  Despite this criticism, Global reporters still used the flush test for their reporting. 

Guest: Inder Singh

Director of Policy, Planning and Analysis of Water Services at Metro Vancouver

Over the past year, reporters at Global News have reviewed more than 79,000 water tests in 33 cities nation-wide. They found hundreds of thousands of Canadians have been unknowingly exposed to lead, in potentially dangerous concentrations, and some of them are right here in our region.

In Global News report, they discussed how cities are using the flush test to determine the amount of lead in drinking water. The test, however, has come under criticism because in order to test if there is lead in the water, they must leave the tap running for five minutes before obtaining a sample. Critics believe that this is not how most people consume water.  Despite this criticism, Global reporters still used the flush test for their reporting. 

Guest: Inder Singh

Director of Policy, Planning and Analysis of Water Services at Metro Vancouver