“We know from point a to point b it’s safe to the property line … but what about the taps?”

City staff are conducting tap-end testing at city facilities to ensure there is no measurable lead in the water. City of Williams Lake photo

Conversations and concerns surrounding lead in drinking water supplies has prompted the city to start tap-end water testing immediately at public city-run facilities such as at the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex.

“People should not have to worry. The city water might be fine, what about [at] public facilities as you turn the taps on, at the arena, at city hall? All that needs to be looked at,” Williams Lake City Councillour Scott Nelson told the Tribune Wednesday.

Nelson spearheaded a conversation the night before at council’s regular Tuesday evening meeting regarding the recent national media attention on lead in water.

Read More: ‘Our lead levels are very, very low,’ Williams Lake CAO reassures city councillors

The city’s chief administrative officer, Milo Macdonald, told council Tuesday there was no need to worry about lead in the city’s water supplies, that staff had reviewed tests for the last 10 years to be certain.

On Wednesday, however, Macdonald confirmed city staff will be undertaking extra testing at the taps.

“We have no indication at all of any real measurable amount of lead in our system at all,” MacDonald said. “But we’re going to take a look at doing some testing at some of the tap-end public facilities as well. We’re going to go through that extra level of due diligence just to satisfy ourselves that we don’t have any issues.”

Nelson said he will be recommending policy changes at the next city council meeting to ensure water testing at the taps occurs now and into the future.

“We know from point a to point b it’s safe to the property line … but what about the taps,” said Nelson, noting it’s an important issue to discuss.

“This is a very good conversation piece to make sure that when you turn on your tap on, is it safe?”

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