The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has received lead testing results for Kaw Tay Whee School in Dettah. Testing has confirmed that some 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 for the school.

Effective immediately, all water fixtures and the water fountain at Kaw Tay Whee School will be out of service.

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

• The priority for protecting students and staff is addressing lead levels detected at multiple classroom sinks. All drinking and food-related fixtures, including those that tested below the maximum acceptable concentration, are now out of service as a precaution. Safe alternative water sources are being provided to the school.
• While the water fountain is currently testing below MAC and considered safe, it will also be out as service as a precaution by the school maintenance and to allow for a full assessment of the entire system.
• The Departments of Infrastructure (INF) and Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) are working together to identify and implement remediation measures.
• Remediation will include replacing affected taps and fixtures and installing under-sink filters, where required.
• Once all corrective measures are completed, follow-up testing will be carried out and reported to the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer for health risk assessment.

Water service at the school will only resume once new safety systems are in place, testing confirms the water meets all health standards, and approval is provided by the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer.

Water testing at Kaw Tay Whee School is part of a territory-wide school testing protocol that uses a priority-based approach guided by national best practices and advice from the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer. Priorities are based on factors such as facility age, existing water quality data, and the age of students. The protocol follows Health Canada’s guidance and is adapted to the unique conditions of the NWT, where remote locations, trucked water systems, and older infrastructure can pose additional challenges.

When travel to a community is already planned and testing can be incorporated, the GNWT may proceed even if the school was not among the highest priorities.

The GNWT has already tested Angik School in Paulatuk, with results below the MAC. Range Lake North School and École William McDonald Middle School previously tested above the MAC, but have completed mitigation measures and have had their Do Not Consume Water Orders lifted. Currently N.J. Macpherson is the only other school with a Do Not Consume Water Order in place.

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
• Drinking Water at Range Lake North School Deemed Safe  
• 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
867-767-9352 ext. 71073