Toronto District School Board
Skip to main content

Safe Drinking Water Test Results

Annual Safe Drinking Water Test Results

Under Ontario Regulation 243/07, Toronto District School Board collects samples between May 1 and October 31 each year. Designated drinking water sources in our schools are safe to drink and are tested on a regular basis, according to provincial regulations.

All samples are analyzed by an independent laboratory certified by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP). Based on sampling results and in consultation with Toronto Public Health, a variety of corrective actions are immediately taken.

In Ontario, the limit for lead in drinking water is 10 ug/L (micrograms per liter) or ppb (parts per billion). Since the passing of the Safe Drinking Water Act in 2002, the majority of TDSB schools have historically had no reported lead exceedances in their drinking water.

To view safe drinking water test results and additional resources, select your school.

Sample Report

Annual Safe Drinking Water Test Results – ‘School Name’

Based on the results, all drinking water sources at the school are flushed daily. If you have any questions, please contact the school principal.

Fixture Number Fixture Location *Standing Sample *Flushed Sample Corrective Action (if needed) View Resampled Data (if applicable)
F-1109-001 Hallway outside gym 18 19 Fixture removed from service, replaced and resampled per Ont. Reg. 243/07 View Data

*Note: All figures above 10 ug/L (micrograms per litre) represent an exceedance of lead. Notes: As recommended by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks, fixtures are represented by letters and numbers. The letter T represents tap, F represents fountain and B represents bottle filling station.

Frequently Asked Questions

Designated drinking water sources are water sources designated for consumption such as:

  • Water fountains
  • Bottle filling stations
  • Taps in kitchens, food preparation areas, staff rooms and childcare areas

Yes, drinking water in our schools is safe to drink. We follow Ontario Ministry regulations by testing our drinking water sources for levels of lead and flushing our plumbing on a regular basis to ensure the highest quality of drinking water.

Children up to six years old are more sensitive to the effects of lead because they are still developing, and their small bodies can absorb lead more easily than adults. That is why the legislation is written for schools and childcares. Buildings that house a full-time childcare or an alternative school for students under the age of 18 are required to be tested.

Testing of designated drinking water sources is completed according to provincial regulations on an annual basis. This is in addition to the water testing conducted by the City of Toronto.

Any exceedance is reported to the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks immediately and addressed and investigated in accordance with the legislation and in consultant with Toronto Public Health. The TDSB ensures a safe drinking water source is available within the school while individual fixture exceedances are being investigated or addressed.

Based on sampling results specific to your school, there are three options:

  • The school conducts weekly flushing on Mondays.
  • The school conducts weekly flushing on Mondays, and specific individual fixtures require daily flushing.
  • The school conducts daily flushing, Monday through Friday.

The provincial regulations do not require school boards to notify parents in case of exceedances. Should an exceedance impact the entire plumbing system and the school is placed on an alternative drinking water source (e.g. water bottles), principals would notify parents.

When an individual fixture is impacted (e.g. it needs to be replaced) and it is taken out of service, the school principal is informed, but no notification will be sent to parents. The TDSB will continue to ensure that all students have access to safe drinking water.

Toronto Public Health states that TDSB Buildings are not serviced by lead pipes, as buildings with more than six units do not have lead pipes, regardless of age. Lead is too soft to handle the pressure needed for these types of buildings.

However, it must be understood that lead is a naturally occurring element. Lead has many industrial uses and has been found in water systems since the late 1800s. It is also present in soil, food and indoor dust. Over the past few decades, exposure to lead has significantly decreased because of restrictions in the use of lead in gasoline, paint and solder.

Ontario’s surface and groundwater generally does not contain lead. If lead does occur naturally, the concentrations are typically extremely low and below the drinking water standard for lead. Where there are concentrations of lead in drinking water above the standard, the likely cause is from lead pipes servicing the premises, lead solder used in the plumbing, or fixtures containing high percentages of lead.

The amount of lead leaching into drinking water from plumbing components depends largely on the chemical characteristics of the water. In certain circumstances, extended contact between standing water and the components can cause the lead to be released from the pipes. When the tap is turned on, water that has been standing in the pipes may have accumulated lead levels higher than Ontario’s standard for lead. Flushing has been shown to reduce lead levels in drinking water fixtures. That is where flushing comes in; by flushing plumbing and fixtures, water that may have come in contact with lead plumbing is replaced with fresh water.

While the source of water is the same throughout the building, the “Handwashing only” signs are a visual indicator that these fixtures are not considered 'drinking water sources' and are not tested for lead. Instead, these fixtures/taps are to be used for hand washing and other classroom purposes only (e.g. washing brushes used in art classes or lab pipes).

Washing Hands Only Signal

If you have any questions or concerns regarding drinking water in our schools, please contact your child’s school.