Updated: February 17, 2023
Lead
Potable water on the campus’s has been confirmed through testing to have concentrations below the standards set in the Ontario and Health Canada Drinking Water Guidelines. Regulatory changes in 1955 prohibited the use of lead in plumbing applications used for potable water. The University has proactively removed all known lead piping since 1955. To the University’s knowledge, no piping containing lead is used for potable water on site. A further regulatory change in 1990 prohibited the use of lead solder in pipe connections. Again, the University has proactively removed known lead solder connections from site when encountered.
Lead Surveillance
The University started to do comprehensive testing for lead in 2013. Over the following years the University tested most buildings on the St. George campus and closed or remediated any systems that were contributing to lead in water. The sampling is conducted using the UofT Lead in Water Sampling Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). The areas where issues were identified were few and concentrated in buildings built prior to the 1950’s when lead piping was still legal for use. At present, the problem sources have been remediated and sampling will be conducted on an as requested basis.
References
Lead Management Program for Building Maintenance and Construction Projects