VANCOUVER—The BC Greens say free testing should be available to residents concerned about lead-contaminated drinking water, in the wake of a nationwide investigation that found elevated levels of the toxic metal in tap water in homes across Canada.

“We all expect and anticipate that we are getting safe water delivered to us,” Sonia Furstenau, the Green Party MLA for Cowichan Valley, said Wednesday.

Furstenau said her decision to enter politics was driven by concern over water issues.

“It is a really important wake-up call for us to see that there are these lead levels not just in B.C., but across the whole country,” she said.

Reporters from the University of British Columbia, as part of an investigation by a national consortium of universities and media companies, including Concordia University’s Institute for Investigative Journalism, Global News and Star Vancouver, has found lead levels that exceed Health Canada’s guidelines in homes in Prince Rupert and Vancouver.

Chronic exposure to lower levels of lead can increase the risk for a range of health effects, including learning disabilities and hypertension. Babies, children under the age of six, pregnant women and developing fetuses are most vulnerable to the neurotoxin, which accumulates in the body over time.

In B.C., municipalities test for lead in the distribution systems, and some communities — including recently Prince Rupert — have tested tap water in private homes for lead.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health said municipalities “can, should and do work with property owners to monitor the quality of water in individual buildings.”

But there are no provincial rules that require municipalities to test in private buildings, where water may come into contact with plumbing that contains lead.

This lack of testing means it’s unclear how many residents in B.C. could be at risk of drinking lead-contaminated tap water.

“In a lot of ways, it’s a trust-in-government question,” Furstenau said Wednesday.

“We have to ensure that we are building that trust and that we are ensuring that that water is coming out of the tap safe,” she said.

The “worst outcome” would be if people turned to plastic bottles of water instead, she said.

Using a filter certified to remove lead or running the tap until the water is noticeably colder can reduce the risks of exposure to lead in drinking water.

Some municipal officials have said it’s the owners who are responsible for plumbing in private buildings, but Furstenau said that’s not a reasonable response.

“Who made the regulations that allowed for the level of lead to be in the infrastructure that currently exists?” she said. “If those regulations were set by governments in the past ... there needs to be support given to homeowners if they do need to update their infrastructure.”

“From source to tap, it really is a cross-jurisdictional, cross-government responsibility to ensure safe drinking water. This is the foundation of a healthy society,” she said.

In an interview last month, Health Minister Adrian Dix said the issue of lead in Prince Rupert is “significant ... and we take it seriously.”

“I believe what you do when you’re faced with a problem is you start to deal with it. And that’s what we’re trying to do,” he said, noting that the province has contributed funding for infrastructure upgrades, including a new water treatment plant, in Prince Rupert.

Dix said action is also being taken in other communities in the region that face similar issues.

As for requiring in-home testing and corrosion control, measures taken at the treatment plant to reduce the risk of lead leaching from plumbing in private homes, the minister said that’s something to be considered.

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In a statement Wednesday, a spokesperson for the ministry said, “We are always working to make sure B.C.’s drinking water is safe and looking for ways to improve our processes.”

“The Ministry of Health and regional health authorities continue to refine policies and regulations under the Drinking Water Protection Act to address known and emerging issues, and maintain high drinking water quality standards,” the statement said.

In the meantime, homeowners can have their tap water tested for lead on their own through an accredited lab.

See the full list of Tainted Water series credits here: concordia.ca/watercredits.

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