New information regarding replacing lead water line connections:

The City has a regular program to replace deteriorated water line connections.  The City is responsible for the water line from the watermain in the street up to the homeowner's property line.  The homeowner is responsible for the water line from the edge of the property into the house to the water meter.  In the past when the City was replacing its portion of the line, the homeowner had the option to replace their portion of the water connection at a subsidized cost.

Recently, an advisory was issued by the American Water Works Association in February 2010, indicating that disturbing and replacing the street portion of a service connection can cause lead levels in the waterline to substantially increase for a period of time and if the remainder of the lead connection from the property line to the house is left intact, lead levels can continue to be elevated longer. 

Because of these health and safety concerns, the City is now requiring that the entire lead service line be replaced from the watermain to the water meter inside a home.  The City will cost share the line replacement with the homeowner (whose cost will be a maximum of $2250 plus GST), which can be added to the homeowner's property tax bill.  The homeowner is also responsible for the piping costs within the house from the house footing to the water meter.

As a precautionary measure for those homeowners in the past two years that chose not to replace their portion of the water connection when the City was doing replacements, or in areas where the City did localized water line leak repairs, homeowners will be given a water filter to install on their drinking water tap.  

 Is there lead in the drinking system? What is the acceptable level?

The drinking water leaving the Saskatoon Water Treatment Plant and in the distribution system is virtually lead free. However, lead may be present in household tap water due to its presence in the service connection or in household plumbing systems containing lead, including solder, and brass fittings.

Small amounts of lead can dissolve into drinking water when it sits in household plumbing. In Saskatoon, water is treated such that it leaves a deposit which coats the plumbing system, and along with other water quality characteristics, may help reduce water contact with lead service connections or lead in plumbing systems.

Excess quantities of lead may impact human health, especially in small children, therefore a very conservative limit has been set by Health Canada at 0.010 mg/L of lead in drinking water. This limit is based on long-term chronic effects, so short-term consumption of water above this limit does not necessarily pose undue risk to health. The lead level content in Saskatoon drinking water when it enters the distribution system is less than 0.0001mg/L or 100 times lower than the Health Canada limit.

Lead is also commonly found in soil, food, and consumer products.

Who is responsible for the lead pipes?

The Cities Act makes the residential property owner responsible for the water service connection on their property as well as the plumbing in their home. Typically, lead service connections are found in older homes built before 1949. If there is concern, a licensed plumber can be contacted to determine if a home has a lead service connection, and whether the home contains lead solder, lead pipes or lead pipe fittings. You may want to consider replacing pipes containing older lead solder, brass fittings containing lead such as some faucets or other in-line devices with appropriate materials certified for contact with drinking water. The City of Saskatoon is only responsible for the service connection pipes between the property line and the water main in the street.

How can I test my water for lead?

You can't see, smell or taste lead in water. The only effective means to measure lead levels in a home is testing at the tap. For an evaluation of lead levels inside homes, residents can arrange for testing by a private, accredited, licensed laboratory. Look under "Laboratories Testing" in the Yellow Pages. Fees will vary.

What can the homeowner do about it?

As a precautionary measure it is recommended that residents flush the water system by running the cold water faucet for approximately 5 minutes if the drinking water has been sitting in the lines for six hours or more. Other water consumption activities, including flushing toilets, doing laundry, and running showers, will flush standing water in the connections, but you should then run the drinking water tap for about one minute to flush its line with fresh water entering the house. Use only cold tap water for drinking or cooking. You should also periodically clean your tap by unscrewing the faucet outlet screen and flushing any debris from the screen and other internal parts.

While the health risks are considered very low, if you wish to take further precautionary measures, children under the age of six and pregnant women could consider alternate sources of drinking water or use an NSF certified filter attached to the tap or a certified filtered water pitcher. Boiling water does not remove lead.

What is the City doing about it?

• Health Canada notes that municipalities can reduce exposure to lead in the drinking water by reducing the potential for corrosion. This can be accomplished by controlling the pH and alkalinity of treated water – chemical conditions that can lead to the corrosion and release of lead. In Saskatoon, the drinking water meets or exceeds the optimal levels for both.
• The City’s portion of lead service connections is replaced during water main replacement or when failures occur. During this work, the homeowners will be required to have the City replace the homeowner’s portion of the service connection (from the property line to their home) at a subsidized cost.
• The City is increasing public education and awareness programs, and will be working with Health Canada and the Saskatoon Health Region on further education and testing programs

For additional information, visit Health Canada or the American Water Works Association. For any health questions, call Public Health Services, Saskatoon Health Region at 655-4620. For lead connections questions, please call Public Works, City of Saskatoon, 975-2476.

Sources: Health Canada, Saskatoon Health Region, City of Edmonton, City of Calgary

Updated July 21, 2011