The Office of the Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO) has lifted the Health Order previously in place at Range Lake North School, following confirmation that lead levels in drinking water no longer exceed Health Canada guidelines.

All fountains and fixtures used for drinking water and food preparation have been replaced, and follow-up testing has confirmed overall water quality. Standard operating procedures are being developed to support ongoing maintenance — including filter replacement and routine re-testing — to ensure the water remains safe over time.

At École William McDonald Middle School:

Follow-up testing has confirmed that some fixtures at École William McDonald Middle School still have elevated lead levels. Additional work is underway.

• All drinking water fountains and food preparation fixtures have been replaced.
• Filters have been installed on all drinking and kitchen fixtures to remove lead.
• A few fixtures will also require regular flushing. Procedures are being finalized.

Most fixtures are now within safe levels, but some still require further investigation. A Health Order remains in place.

At N.J. Macpherson School:

Fixture replacements have been ordered and are expected to arrive mid-to-late September, with installation to follow shortly afterward.

A Health Order remains in place, requiring the school to:

• Flush the system daily, and
• Provide alternative sources of safe drinking water until mitigation measures are complete.

Drinking fountains remain safe for use.

All Other Schools Across NWT

Territory-wide testing of school drinking water will begin as soon as possible, using a priority-based approach guided by national best practices and advice from the CPHO.

This approach mirrors the one used for N.J. Macpherson School and prioritizes factors such as:

• Age of the facility
• Existing water quality data
• Age of the student population
• Results from initial random sampling

A detailed testing protocol has been finalized and will be reviewed by the CPHO before broader testing begins. Once approved, full details will be shared.

Related Links:

• Stantec report: Range Lake School
• Stantec report: William MacDonald School
• Report: Investigation into the Testing Program for Drinking Water in Northwest Territories Schools
  • Note: This report has been redacted to remove position titles and other personally identifying details. Where a position title was removed, it has been replaced with the name of the organization the position belongs to.
• WSCC Worker’s Report of Injury Form  
• Monitoring and Testing of Water in the NWT

For media requests, please contact:
Agata Gutkowska
Manager, Public Affairs and Communications
Department of Education, Culture and Employment
Government of the Northwest Territories
agata_gutkowska@gov.nt.ca

Matthew Mallon
A/Manager, Communications
Health and Social Services
Government of the Northwest Territories
HSSMedia@gov.nt.ca

Jacqueline McKinnon
Manager, Public Affairs and Communications
Infrastructure
Government of the Northwest Territories
INF_Communications@gov.nt.ca
867-767-9088 ext. 31166