New chemical in Edmonton water to help prevent lead buildup
A new colourless, odourless chemical that is designed to act as a barrier to keep lead out of Edmonton's drinking water is now running through the city's taps.
As of last week, Epcor began adding orthophosphate to the water distribution network to prevent harmful lead from being dissolved off of pipes and moving into the tap water Edmontonians consume.
Jeff Charrois, analytical operations senior manager, told CTV News Edmonton that most people will be unable to notice a difference as the compound is tasteless.
"They don't have to do anything with their water," Charrois explained. "It's just sort of going to be there now in the background."
Epcor began planning to add orthophosphate to the city's water several years ago after Health Canada decreased the standards for approved levels of lead in drinking water from 10 micrograms per litre to five.
"When water leaves the treatment plant here at Epcor, there is no measurable lead," Charrois said. "It's picked up along the journey from the treatment plant into people's homes. And typically you would find lead in homes that might have lead service lines."
Charrois says there are still around 2,100 Epcor-owned service lines that still have pipes with lead — or roughly one and a half per cent of all lines. The utility provider does not know how many private plumbing systems contain soldering or fixtures with the harmful metal.
"[Orthophosphate] is going to be effective for the unknown, unknowns," Charrois said. "The areas that we may not have any testing in but where lead might actually be existing."
Epcor's Jeff Charrois speaks with CTV News Edmonton (CTV News Edmonton/Amanda Anderson).
Epcor closely monitors homes connected to the service lines containing lead, Charrois says. In 2019, approximately 325 tested over 25 micrograms per litre.
"So in those high-priority homes, we targeted those for lead service line removal and we've gotten basically to the bottom of that list this year," he said.
To find out more or for tips on identifying the type of pipes your home has, visit Epcor's website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.