Should the N.W.T. government pay for daycares to test their drinking water?

A Yellowknife daycare says it tested well below Health Canada's guidelines for drinking water. Now it says it would like to see the N.W.T. government provide more support to other daycares across the territory so they can also test their water.

Lauren Hanley, executive director of the Yellowknife Daycare Association, said some parents came to her with concerns after testing at some schools in the city showed elevated levels of lead in their drinking water.

Hanley said she reached out to the territorial department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) about getting financial support for lead testing at her daycare, but never heard back. So, she said, the daycare paid for the N.W.T.'s Taiga Environmental Laboratory to test three drinking water samples last week.

The results showed lead levels at 0.8 µg/L (micrograms per litre). Health Canada's maximum acceptable concentration for lead in drinking water is 5 µg/L.

Earlier this month, the Northwest Territories' chief public health officer encouraged daycares to test their drinking water for lead.

The N.W.T. government does not currently pay for lead testing at daycares or day homes because ECE doesn't own or operate those buildings, said department spokesperson Agata Gutkowska.

“As with other private businesses and non-government organizations, operators are responsible for ensuring they provide safe drinking water,” Gutkowska said in an email.

Gutkowska said the government is reviewing practices related to drinking water testing in early learning and child care settings across Canada to better understand how other jurisdictions approach testing.

“The findings from this national review will help inform future decisions, including whether additional guidance, direction, or potential policy or program updates may be appropriate to support operators going forward,” said Gutkowska.

Hanley said she wasn’t surprised by the results at the Yellowknife Daycare Association, given that the building is less than a decade old.

Though Hanley said it was money well-spent, she wishes the territory could provide more support to other daycares looking to do their own lead testing.

“I know ECE is pretty overwhelmed with the schools right now,” she said. “But putting out a guide to daycare centres on how to test by themselves would be great.”

Hanley also suggested the territory help pay for testing.

"There might be some centres who can't afford to do these tests," she said.