We tested the water in Yukon schools:
- August to December 2024; and
- in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Work to test school water in 2024
In August 2024, we made sure every school had one source of drinking water for every 10 students, on average. The Canadian National Building Code requires one drinking water source per 100 students.
On October 7, 2024, work began to collect and test drinking water in 32 schools and education programs. We’ve developed a plan to manage fixtures that are testing over the Health Canada’s Canadian Drinking Water Quality for lead. We will mitigate all fixtures by early summer.
Work to test water in 2018 to 2020
In 2018, 2019, and 2020, we tested the drinking water in all Yukon schools for lead and either replaced or shut off fixtures that didn’t meet Health Canada’s Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality.
In 2019, Health Canada updated the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality, setting the maximum allowable concentration (MAC) of lead in drinking water at 0.005 mg/L. In 2024, we retested drinking water fixtures in Yukon schools. This means we have comprehensive, current data for all Yukon schools to guide our mitigation plan.
What do I need to know about drinking water and lead in Yukon schools?
In any Yukon school, the best place to get drinking water is from the school's:
- water fountains; or
- water bottle filling stations.
Water samples from these fixtures show lead levels that are below the maximum allowable concentration (MAC) for lead in the Canadian guidelines. You can talk to your child or your child’s teacher about their access to a water bottle filling station or water fountain.
Following the extensive testing to date, the Government of Yukon is confident that students and staff at Yukon schools are not being exposed to lead levels that would be considered a health risk.
The Yukon’s Chief Medical Officer of Health advises that incidental drinking of water from other fixtures with lead levels slightly above the drinking water guidelines presents no significant risk to health.
Children drink water from many sources. Drinking water from these fixtures would not be enough to significantly affect their health or development.
Learn more from Health Canada:
- Lead in drinking water information
- General lead exposure information
- Canadian Drinking Water Guidelines
- Health Canada sampling protocols for non-residential buildings (including schools)
Lead is a metal that occurs naturally in low levels in the environment. Everyone is exposed to very small amounts of lead through:
- air;
- soil;
- household dust;
- food;
- drinking water; and
- various consumer products.
A summary of the water test results is organized by school below. You can also read the detailed 2024 test results.
As we complete the work, we will update the table below.
*The table was updated to reflect the total number of water fixtures that have undergone mitigation work. In some instances, certain fixture types have undergone mitigation work regardless of testing results. For example, dental room flush protocols and additional filters installed at drinking fountains.
| School | Number of drinking water fixtures we tested | Number of water fixtures we’re removing, replacing or mitigating* | Status of work |
| Christ the King Elementary | 13 classroom 2 dental room 3 fountains 2 kitchen 20 total | 5 | Complete |
| Chief Zzeh Gittlit, Old Crow | 7 classroom 2 dental room 2 fountains 5 kitchen 16 total | 2 | Complete |
| Del Van Gorder, Faro | 15 classroom 3 fountains 9 kitchen 1 laundry 28 total | 5 | In progress |
| Elijah Smith Elementary | 22 classroom 2 dental room 6 fountains 3 kitchen 33 total | 7 | Complete |
| Eliza Van Bibber, Pelly Crossing | 10 classroom 4 fountains 5 kitchen 19 total | 6 | In progress |
| Émilie Tremblay | 13 classroom 2 dental room 4 fountains 4 kitchen 23 total | 9 | Complete |
| F.H. Collins Secondary | 27 classroom 9 fountains 16 kitchen 52 total | 9 | Complete |
| Gadzoosdaa Student Residence | 1 fountain 2 kitchen 3 total | 3 | In progress |
| Golden Horn Elementary | 14 classroom 2 dental room 7 fountains 2 kitchen 25 total | 9 | Complete |
| Ghùch Tlâ Community, Carcross | 6 classroom 2 dental room 3 fountains 5 kitchen 16 total | 5 | Complete |
| Grey Mountain Primary | 3 classroom 1 dental room 3 fountains 1 kitchen 8 total | 2 | Complete |
| Hidden Valley Elementary | 8 classroom 2 dental room 2 fountain 2 kitchen 14 total | 5 | Complete |
| Holy Family Elementary | 9 classroom 2 dental room 6 fountains 2 kitchen 19 total | 8 | Complete |
| Jack Hulland Elementary | 29 classroom 2 dental room 3 fountains 2 kitchen 36 total | 6 | In progress |
| Johnson Elementary, Watson Lake | 12 classroom 2 dental room 2 fountains 1 kitchen 17 total | 6 | Complete |
| J.V. Clark, Mayo | 16 classroom 2 dental room 4 fountains 5 kitchen 27 total | 5 | In progress |
| Khàtìnas.àxh, Teslin | 6 classroom 1 fountain 3 kitchen 10 total | 0 | No work needed |
| Kluane Lake, Destruction Bay | 1 fountain 2 kitchen 3 total | 0 | No work needed |
| Nelnah Bessie John, Beaver Creek | 1 fountain 3 kitchen 4 total | 0 | No work needed |
| Porter Creek Secondary | 11 classroom 9 fountains 13 kitchen 1 camp jug fill 34 total | 2 | Complete |
| Robert Service, Dawson City | 18 classroom 6 fountains 10 kitchen 9 reverse osmosis 43 total | 14 | In progress |
| Ross River School | 7 classroom 2 dental room 5 fountains 6 kitchen 20 total | 7 | In progress |
| Selkirk Elementary | 18 classroom 2 dental room 9 fountains 3 kitchen 32 total | 8 | Complete |
| St. Elias Community, Haines Junction | 18 classroom 4 fountains 1 kitchen 1 laundry 24 total | 4 | In progress |
| St. Francis Catholic Secondary | 6 classroom 10 fountains 6 kitchen 22 total | 2 | Complete |
| Takhini Elementary | 15 classroom 2 dental room 11 fountains 2 kitchen 30 total | 11 | Complete |
| Tantalus School, Carmacks | 9 classroom 1 dental room 11 fountains 5 kitchens 26 total | 11 | Complete |
| Teen Parent Centre | 3 sinks | 0 | No work needed |
| Watson Lake Secondary | 8 classrooms 3 fountains 7 kitchen 18 total | 1 | Complete |
| Whistle Bend Elementary | 20 classroom 2 dental room 5 fountains 3 kitchen 30 total | 2 | In progress |
| Whitehorse Elementary | 12 classroom 4 dental room 8 fountains 2 kitchen 26 total | 9 | Complete |
| Wood Street Centre | 7 classroom 3 fountains 2 kitchen 1 camp jug fill 13 total | 1 | Complete |
2024 results and testing procedures
How we test for lead
In 2024, we used two established methods to collect samples from fixtures. The two methods were:
- Random Day-Time (RDT) method
- used to retest samples from 2018 to 2020
- Investigative method
- used to test samples taken after 2020
For any fixture that had previously been sampled in 2018–2020, we used a Random Day-Time (RDT) sampling method in 2024. This method provides a sample designed to monitor the average or typical exposure to lead in drinking water in a population. For any fixtures that were not tested in 2018-2020 (mainly fixtures in recently constructed schools), we sampled using the Investigative method in 2024.
You can read more about the Investigative method in the 2018-2020 results and testing procedure section on the next page.
Random Day-Time method
Samples were collected randomly during the school day without prior flushing and with no stagnation. Stagnation means water left sitting in the fixture or plumbing.
The testing procedure was as follows:
- On weekdays from October to December 2024, water samples were collected from drinking water fountains and cold-water outlets used for drinking or food preparation.
- 2, 125 mL samples were collected from every drinking water fixture. Samples were tested for lead and the results were averaged.
Testing of the water samples was completed at Bureau Veritas Laboratories in Burnaby, British Columbia.
2018-20 water fixture test results and mitigation for Yukon schools
This document shows the number of fixtures identified for replacement or repair and the mitigation work that has taken place.
How we tested for lead
We tested the water using the Investigative method. This type of testing is intended to understand the most likely source of lead, the fixture or the pipes. Lead levels drop when water is flushed.
Investigative method
- Used to identify the source of lead in a fixture or plumbing system.
- This method involves:
- Flushing each fixture.
- Letting water sit stagnant in the plumbing system for 16 to 24 hours to allow for the largest amount of lead leaching.
- Taking a 250 mL standing sample from each fixture.
- Taking a second 250 mL sample after a 30 second flush for some fixtures.
- Collecting a main water sample from some schools.
Testing of the water samples was completed by Caro Analytical Services in Richmond, British Columbia.