Report finds lead exceedances in drinking water at several Ontario schools
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A new report has renewed concerns over drinking water safety in Ontario schools after showing that several schools and school boards recorded lead exceedances during the 2024/25 school year. The report, published by the Canadian Environmental Law Association, says the full scope of the issue may be understated because current provincial rules still allow some schools to reduce testing frequency to once every three years instead of annual testing.
According to the report’s ranking, the Ottawa Carleton District School Board recorded the highest number of tests above 10 parts per billion, with 104 exceedances above 10 ppb and 156 above 5 ppb. It was followed by the Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board with 40 and 85, the Toronto District School Board with 30 and 53, and the Peel District School Board with 23 and 46.
At the individual school level, Beaver River Public School in the Durham District School Board ranked first, with 15 tests above 10 ppb and 33 above 5 ppb. Other schools on the list included Orleans Wood ES and Fallingbrook Community ES in Ottawa Carleton, underscoring that the issue spans multiple schools and boards across the province.
The issue carries added weight because Health Canada lowered the maximum acceptable concentration for lead in drinking water from 10 ppb to 5 ppb in 2019, while Ontario still uses the older threshold. The report says Ontario remains one of only two jurisdictions in Canada that have not adopted the stricter standard, despite the higher risk lead exposure poses to children.
