Report to: General Committee Date Report Authored: May 18, 2010
SUBJECT: Community Lead Testing Program – Status Report (5)
PREPARED BY: Fiona McArthur, Water Quality Coordinator,
System Engineering x 2449
RECOMMENDATION:
1) THAT the report titled “Community Lead Testing Program – Status Report (5)” be received;
2) AND THAT staff report back to Council with the findings of the Community Lead Testing Program after completion of sampling period #6;
3) AND FURTHER THAT staff be authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The Waterworks department has successfully completed the fifth round of testing in the Community Lead Testing Program. No locations were found to be above the maximum acceptable concentration (MAC) for Lead of 0.0100 mg/L. Under the regulation, Markham has been able to reduce the number of samples collected during each round due to the low levels of lead which have been detected in previous rounds.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this report is to notify Council of the findings from the Community Lead Testing Program, for sampling period #5 (December 15, 2009 to April 15, 2010)
BACKGROUND:
On July 26, 2007, the Drinking
Water Systems Regulation O. Reg. 170/03, (Schedule 15.1) was amended, requiring
mandatory Community Lead Testing for lead (Pb) in Drinking Water at the tap
level. Sampling is required semi-annually:
Period 1 (December 15 to April 15) and Period 2 (June 15 to October 15). Currently, Markham is required to sample from
a minimum of 50 locations from plumbing that serves private residences; 5
sampling locations that do not serve private residences (i.e. an industrial,
commercial or institutional property (ICI) ) and a minimum of 10 samples from
the distribution system during each sampling period. The sampling locations must be with consent
of premise occupant, representative of different geographic areas throughout
1) Buildings that have a lead service or lead plumbing
2) Buildings constructed before 1990
3) Any other property
The
OPTIONS/ DISCUSSION:
Reduction in
Sampling:
When the Community Lead Testing Program
was introduced in 2007, it included a provision for reduction of the number of
samples collected. Once a large municipality
has successfully completed 4 consecutive rounds of lead testing in which less than
10% of the residential samples collected exceeded the MAC of 0.0100 mg/L, it is
permissible to reduce the number of lead samples collected by half. Under the reduced testing, a municipality
must return to the full complement of required samples if at any point the
percentage of lead tests which exceed the MAC is greater than 10%.
Sampling Locations:
During the course of the Community Lead Testing Program, Markham has had tremendous support and interest from its residents. Throughout the Community Lead Testing Program, a small amount of turnover has occurred due to attrition within the program. Moving towards round 5, a decision was made to “graduate” residents who had been involved with the program for 4 rounds of testing. This was due to an increase in “volunteer fatigue” that was being seen. Additionally, there were a number of residents who had registered for the program over two years ago and had not yet had the opportunity to participate due to the low initial turnover in the program. It is useful to maintain residents, where possible, through multiple rounds as this allows us to determine if a location is stable through sequential seasons. However, it is also advantageous to change homes to new locations where we have obtained all of the information that we can. After volunteers have completed four rounds of sampling without detection of elevated lead levels, the residence was removed from the roster, and the program was opened to new participants. As a result, 73 homes were graduated from the program having completed 4 rounds of testing, 33 homes withdrew from the program or chose not to complete this round of testing, 32 new homes were enrolled and 42 homes were maintained in the program having completed 3 or fewer rounds of testing to date. In addition, one non-residential property was replaced during this round of testing.
O. Reg. 170/03 Compliance:
The Town of
Sampling Results:
The fifth period of sampling began on December 15, 2009 and was completed on March 10, 2010. Results of all tests taken during round #5 continue to be acceptable, below the safe standard for lead of 0.0100 mg/L as set out in the Drinking-Water Systems Regulation (170/03).
Observations:
The Town of Markham lead test results for all five (5) sampling periods, undertaken to date show that the average of lead from all homes in Markham are consistently well below the MAC of 0.0100 mg/L. A review of the last five rounds of samples indicates that the average of lead at the homes of our residents is 0.0003 mg/L. This value remains consistent between the winter and summer sampling periods. By contrast, many municipalities experience an increase in lead concentration during the summer months due to a lower pH. This can result in an increase in lead leaching from pipes where lead services exist. The average pH for this round of testing was 7.2. This neutral pH, a well buffered system and the absence of lead services have helped to keep Markham from experiencing any issue with lead in the drinking water.
The following is a summary of all lead results taken for all previous testing period:
|
Sampling
Round |
Type of
Sample |
# Samples
Taken by |
# of
Samples required by O. Reg. 170/03 |
Drinking
Water Quality Standard (mg/L) |
Average (mg/L) |
Lowest
Value (mg/L) |
Highest
Value (mg/L) |
|
Round #5, |
Non-Residential
ICI (tap) |
10 |
5 |
0.010 |
0.0005 |
0.0001 |
0.0027 |
|
Residential
(tap) |
74 |
50 |
0.010 |
0.0002 |
<0.0001 |
0.0017 |
|
|
Distribution
System |
38 |
10 |
0.010 |
0.0005 |
0.0001 |
0.0043 |
|
|
Round #4 June 15, 2009 to |
Non-Residential
ICI (tap) |
10 |
10 |
0.010 |
0.0006 |
<0.0001 |
0.0038 |
|
Residential
(tap) |
148 |
100 |
0.010 |
0.0002 |
<0.0001 |
0.0039 |
|
|
Distribution
System |
80 |
20 |
0.010 |
0.0004 |
0.0001 |
0.0033 |
|
|
Round #3, |
Non-Residential
ICI (tap) |
10 |
10 |
0.010 |
0.0005 |
<0.0001 |
0.0028 |
|
Residential
(tap) |
149 |
100 |
0.010 |
0.0002 |
<0.0001 |
0.0087 |
|
|
Distribution
System |
84 |
20 |
0.010 |
0.0002 |
<0.0001 |
0.0013 |
|
|
Round #2, |
Non-Residential
ICI (tap) |
10 |
10 |
0.010 |
0.0012 |
0.0001 |
0.0063 |
|
Residential
(tap) |
150 |
100 |
0.010 |
0.0004 |
<0.0001 |
0.0087 |
|
|
Distribution
System |
85 |
20 |
0.010 |
0.0005 |
0.0001 |
0.0027 |
|
|
Round #1 Dec. 15, 2007 to |
Non-Residential
ICI (tap) |
10 |
10 |
0.010 |
0.0006 |
0.0001 |
0.0038 |
|
Residential
(tap) |
148 |
100 |
0.010 |
0.0003 |
<0.0001 |
0.0037 |
|
|
Distribution
System |
80 |
20 |
0.010 |
0.0005 |
0.0001 |
0.0046 |
Notification of Results:
All participants who took part in the fifth round of testing have been mailed a copy of their sample report accompanied by a letter explaining the results. A summary of the results from the fifth round of testing has been posted on Markham’s Website, providing general information for all of Markham residents. Contact information is also posted on the website in the event program participants did not receive their results through the mail.
The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of the Environment have been provided with a summary of all results for the fifth round of sampling.
Program Next Steps:
The requirement to undertake community wide sampling is a permanent requirement under O. Reg. 170/03. The next sampling round is June 15, 2010 to October 15, 2010. During round #6 it is expected that a further 9 homes will be graduated from the program.
As Markham has yet to experience a single lead test above the MAC, we will continue to monitor any changes in the regulations that may permit us to reduce the community lead testing program even further. Recently, drinking water systems serving municipalities with fewer than 50,000 residents which consistently have had less than 10% of the results from the lead testing program exceed the MAC have been granted an exemption following two periods of reduced sampling.
Markham will continue to monitor the lead levels in the homes of the volunteers, but has also been able to increase the number of homes being tested by graduating volunteers who have completed four (4) rounds of testing. This ensures we are able to increase the number of residents with access to this Water Quality program.
Staff will continue to develop programs to remove sources of lead in the drinking water system through:
- Watermain replacement of cast iron and ductile iron watermain that may have leaded joints or lead tipped gaskets
- Installation of water meters with low lead content components
- System installation of low-lead brass fittings and couplings during system repairs and replacements.
There are no known lead services in the Town. Whenever a lead service is discovered, through Waterworks maintenance programs, such a service is replaced.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND TEMPLATE: (external link)
Not Applicable
HUMAN RESOURCES CONSIDERATIONS
Not Applicable
ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PRIORITIES:
Not Applicable
BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:
Not Applicable
The report presented herein,
communicates the results of the Community Lead Testing Program – Sampling Period
#5 (
The undersigned represent the Top Management of Town of Markham’s Drinking Water Distribution System and by signing below the Top Management of the Operating Authority have reviewed the Community Lead Testing – Sampling Period #5 results identified by Waterworks.
RECOMMENDED
BY: ________________________ ________________________
Jerry Klaus Peter Loukes, P.Eng.
General Manager, Waterworks Director, Operations
________________________ ________________________
Brenda Librecz Commissioner, John Livey
Community and Fire Services Chief Administrative Officer
ATTACHMENTS:
None.