The Office of the Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO) has lifted the Health Orders previously in place at École William McDonald Middle School and N.J. Macpherson School, following confirmation that lead levels in drinking water no longer exceed Health Canada guidelines.

All identified 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 have been developed to support ongoing maintenance – including filter replacement and routine retesting – to ensure the water remains safe over time.

At École William McDonald Middle School:

Follow-up testing has confirmed that all food preparation fixtures and drinking fountains at École William McDonald Middle School are now within acceptable limits as set out in the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality. Remediation included fixture replacement, filter install, and ongoing system flushing protocols.

The Health Order has been lifted, and the school fountains and fixtures are safe for use and drinking.

At N.J. Macpherson School:

Follow-up testing has confirmed that all food preparation fixtures and drinking fountains at N.J. Macpherson School are now within acceptable limits as set out in the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality. Remediation included fixture replacement and filter install.

The Health Order has been lifted, and the school fountains and fixtures are safe for use and drinking.

All Other Schools Across NWT

Water testing at these schools is part of the GNWT’s commitment to test drinking water in every school in the territory. 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.

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

The GNWT will support any Education Body that chooses to safely provide alternate drinking water as a precaution while testing and remediation continue. The GNWT will reimburse reasonable, cost-effective expenses so that no school hesitates to act out of concern for budget impacts.

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
• 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 
• Drinking Water Lead Testing in NWT Schools: Procedure for the Design, Collection, Analysis and Testing of Lead in Drinking Water for Northwest Territories Schools

For media requests, please contact:

Manager, Public Affairs and Communications
Department of Infrastructure
Government of the Northwest Territories
jacqueline_mckinnon@gov.nt.ca
867-767-9082 ext. 31166