Yellowknife (August 6, 2025) – As the new school year approaches, École William McDonald Middle School and Range Lake North School will implement new measures to improve drinking water safety and address concerns about lead. While the exact source of lead in these schools has not been confirmed, the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is taking precautionary steps to remove potential sources and ensure students and staff have safe drinking water. Based on expert advice and proven best practices, these measures are expected to effectively resolve the issue and ensure the water is safe over the long term.

At École William McDonald Middle School:

• All fountains and fixtures used for drinking water or food preparation will be replaced by the start of the new school year, as they may be contributing to lead levels in the water.
• Point-of-use activated carbon filters will be installed at every drinking water and food preparation fixture. These filters remove lead regardless of its source, ensuring that water is safe to drink. 
• At this time, pipe replacement is not considered necessary, as the new measures are expected to resolve the issue; however, it will be considered during the next major renovation to provide an added safeguard. 
• Follow-up and ongoing testing will confirm water safety before and after drinking water service resumes.
• Water will be tested regularly to confirm the carbon filters’ effectiveness and overall water quality. Filters will be monitored and maintained according to manufacturer recommendations and replaced as needed to ensure ongoing protection throughout the school year.

At Range Lake North School:

• All fountains and fixtures used for drinking water or food preparation will be replaced by the start of the new school year, as they may be contributing to lead levels.
• An automated flushing system will be installed to prevent water from sitting in pipes long enough to accumulate elevated lead levels. 
• Water will be tested to confirm the flushing system’s effectiveness and overall water quality. The flushing system will be programmed for regular operation, maintained to ensure it continues to prevent lead from building up in the water supply, and tested regularly to ensure continued safety.

Bottled or alternate water will continue to be provided temporarily for drinking and cooking at both schools. Drinking water will only return to service once all safety measures are in place, follow-up testing confirms it is safe for consumption, and the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer approves lifting the do-not-consume orders.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is developing a priority testing approach for all NWT schools, guided by national best practices and expert advice from the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer. Schools will be prioritized based on factors such as:

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

A detailed testing protocol will be finalized and reviewed by the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer before any testing begins.

Current and former staff of both schools who have concerns about workplace lead exposure may submit a Worker’s Report of Injury to the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC). WSCC Claims staff are available to assist with reporting.

The GNWT is committed to ensuring safe drinking water in schools and is taking a careful, expert-guided, and transparent approach to this work. We will continue to monitor and maintain these systems, conduct regular testing, and share updates as the territory-wide testing program moves forward, ensuring students, staff, and families can have full confidence in the safety of their drinking water.

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
• Public Service Announcement on lead water in Yellowknife Schools:
• July 14, 2025: Update on Lead Testing in NWT Schools: GNWT taking interdepartmental approach to address water testing issues in Yellowknife schools | Government of Northwest Territories
• June 25, 2025: Follow-Up Lead Testing Results at Yellowknife Schools | Government of Northwest Territories
• May 31, 2025: Update on Lead Testing in NWT Schools | Government of Northwest Territories

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

Andrew Wind
Manager, Communications
Health and Social Services                                                                                 
Government of the Northwest Territories
HSSMedia@gov.nt.ca
867-767-9052 ext. 49034

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

Shannon Moore
Acting Manager, Communications and Public Affairs
Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission
shannon.moore@wscc.nt.ca
867-920-3864