The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has received lead testing results for Chief T’Selehye School in Fort Good Hope. Testing has confirmed that several drinking water fixtures show lead levels above the maximum acceptable concentration (MAC) set out in the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality. As a result, the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer (OCPHO) has issued a Public Health Order and implemented a flushing protocol for the school.

Test results indicates that the elevated levels are associated with fixtures within the school rather than the community water supply.

Effective immediately, Chief T’Selehye School is required to flush all affected fixtures for three minutes each morning before use. All sinks and fountains remain available and safe to use. Drinking water fixtures identified in the Public Health Order will remain in service with the flushing protocol in place until mitigation measures are completed.

The GNWT is taking the following steps to address the issue:

• The Departments of Infrastructure (INF) and Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) are working together to identify and implement appropriate mitigation measures.
• Once corrective actions are completed, follow-up testing will be carried out and submitted to the OCPHO for review.

Water testing at Chief T’Selehye School is part of the GNWT’s commitment to test drinking water in every school in the territory this year. A priority-based protocol guides the order in which schools are tested, based on factors such as facility age, previous water quality information, and the age of students. While the protocol determines sequencing, the commitment remains the same: all schools will be tested using a science-based approach that reflects Health Canada’s guidance and the conditions of the North.

When GNWT staff are already scheduled to travel to a community and testing can be safely incorporated, the GNWT may proceed at that time even if the school was not identified among the highest priorities.

The GNWT remains committed to ensuring safe drinking water in all schools and will continue monitoring systems, conducting regular testing, and sharing updates as the territory-wide testing program progresses.

Related Links:

• Web Page: Lead Testing in JK-12 School Drinking Water
• Drinking Water Lead Testing in NWT Schools: Procedure for the Design, Collection, Analysis and Testing of Lead in Drinking Water for Northwest Territories Schools
• 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:
Jacqueline McKinnon
Manager, Public Affairs and Communications
Department of Infrastructure
Government of the Northwest Territories
Jacqueline_mckinnon@gov.nt.ca
867-767-9082 ext. 31166