September 3rd, 2021
Sept. 2, 2021
Dear Grand River Collegiate Institute families,
Schools in our district follow the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) laws on drinking water.
In 2017, the MOECC amended the process for how we test drinking water fixtures and report lead exceedances. When levels of lead that are higher than provincial standards are detected, we take immediate action to protect our students, following directions from MOECC guidelines, in consultation with the Region of Waterloo Public Health and Emergency Services.
On Aug. 10, 11, and 12, water samples were taken from your child’s school. The results show that levels of lead in a number of water fixtures were higher than the provincial targets. This taps are:
- Taps in staff and family studies rooms
We are taking the following corrective actions:
- Flushing all drinking water fixtures daily
- Render taps unusable for drinking
- All taps will be replaced
- Take two sets of resamples from the taps where the initial samples were taken, a minimum of seven days apart but within 30 days of the initial sample.
Please know that we will continue to work on corrective measures until we meet the provincially set standards. Further communication about these corrective measures will be sent home as necessary, to keep our community informed.
You can find more information on our website (www.wrdsb.ca/our-schools/water-testing-for-lead) or at our school reception during office hours. If you have further questions or concerns, you can contact 519-621-4171 or email info@wrdsb.ca.
Sincerely,
Josh Windsor
Principal
