Study on safe drinking water starts up once again

July 11, 2011

The City of Red Deer is once again working with residents over the next few months with homes built prior to the early 1960s that may have lead water service lines.

Last summer The City sent out letters to all homes and small businesses in Red Deer with suspected lead service pipes offering to test for lead in their tap water. Over 37 per cent of the residents replied to our request for information and 37 homes voluntarily participated in our water testing program. Less than one per cent of the residences were found to have above the Canadian Drinking Water Quality Guidelines Maximum Acceptable Concentration of 0.01 mg/L of lead.

“The City of Red Deer’s water is safe and is continually tested to ensure it meets all provincial and federal water quality standards and guidelines,” said Nathalie Viau, Performance Reporting Coordinator, with The City. “This ongoing study will help us gather information to develop future testing protocols to maintain our high drinking water standards.”

The City of Red Deer uses a caustic soda treatment to balance the pH of the finished water and minimize water corrosion. This practice creates a protective film which coats the inside of the pipes and minimizes lead seepage. Red Deer’s drinking water comes from the Water Treatment Plant and is virtually lead free. The lead level content in Red Deer’s drinking water distribution system is well within the Health Canada guidelines for corrosion control in water distribution systems (2009).

If a homeowner suspects they have a lead service line they can either inspect the actual service pipe material coming through the basement floor and feeding into the water meter, or contact Environmental Services at 403-342-8750 to have someone come out to their home to assist them in the identification process.

If you have recently moved into an older property and/or you are unsure about the service pipes at the property or want to participate in the lead water service line identification program, residents can contact Environmental Services at 403-342-8750 for assistance.
The City is continuing to work closely with

Alberta Health and Wellness and

Alberta Health Services to maintain safe drinking water for all Red Deer residents in accordance with

Health Canada guidelines.

For more information visit www.reddeer.ca.

                                                                      -end-

For more information, please contact:

Nathalie Viau                                                         Ryan Ekdahl
Performance Reporting Coordinator                     Water Specialist
The City of Red Deer                                            The City of Red Deer
403-342-8750                                                       403-342-8750