Lead Detected in Hot Water at Iqaluit Daycare Building

A building in Iqaluit that houses apartments and the city's only Inuktitut daycare has lead in its hot water. The Government of Nunavut placed the building under a no-consumption order in March after tests showed elevated lead levels. The property manager stated that the issue began last year when a rubber bladder in a water tank failed and released black rubber debris into the heating system.

Residents reported black flakes in the water as early as two years ago, according to an email obtained by Cbc.

Orders On May 1, officials lifted the no-consumption order for cold water. Lead remains detectable in the hot water at levels about 20 percent above Health Canada guidelines of 0.005 milligrams per litre. The property manager said the lead in the hot water resulted from the installation of new water tanks and was not present before the work.

Bottled water is being provided to tenants while lead filters are being installed.

An adjunct professor of public health at the University of Montreal said lead exposure through drinking water can affect cognitive and intellectual development, particularly in young children. She noted that effects are usually reversible once exposure stops.

Tenants continue to use bottled water despite the clearance of cold water. Officials have not set a timeline for resolving the remaining hot-water contamination.