HALIFAX—The Nova Scotia government will soon start delivering drinking water to 324 of the province’s 370 public schools because testing has revealed higher-than-acceptable lead levels in some schools’ water systems.

The testing started in the fall after Health Canada lowered the acceptable level of lead in drinking water and introduced new testing guidelines.

So far, the province has tested the water in 86 schools.

The decision to start delivering water in January came after 40 schools tested positive for lead levels in excess of the new guidelines.

That means another 284 schools must be tested, but the guidelines say testing can’t resume until the spring when warmer weather returns.

Education Minister Zach Churchill says the government’s goal is to have all schools tested by the end of the current school year.

“We don’t want families to worry about the quality of drinking water in their schools,” Churchill said in a statement. “Until we can resume testing in the spring, we will provide drinking water to schools that need it.”

The water distribution program will cost the province $1.7 million.

Meanwhile, the government is creating a public database that will display all test results. It is expected to be ready by September of next year.

Read more about: