Drinking Water at Range Lake North School Deemed Safe
Publication Date
Public Service Announcement
The Office of the Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO) has lifted the Health Order previously in place at Range Lake North School, following confirmation that lead levels in drinking water no longer exceed Health Canada guidelines.
All fountains and fixtures used for drinking water and food preparation have been replaced, and follow-up testing has confirmed overall water quality. Standard operating procedures are being developed to support ongoing maintenance — including filter replacement and routine re-testing — to ensure the water remains safe over time.
At École William McDonald Middle School:
Follow-up testing has confirmed that some fixtures at École William McDonald Middle School still have elevated lead levels. Additional work is underway.
All drinking water fountains and food preparation fixtures have been replaced.
Filters have been installed on all drinking and kitchen fixtures to remove lead.
A few fixtures will also require regular flushing. Procedures are being finalized.
Most fixtures are now within safe levels, but some still require further investigation. A Health Order remains in place.
At N.J. Macpherson School:
Fixture replacements have been ordered and are expected to arrive mid-to-late September, with installation to follow shortly afterward.
A Health Order remains in place, requiring the school to:
Flush the system daily, and
Provide alternative sources of safe drinking water until mitigation measures are complete.
Drinking fountains remain safe for use.
All Other Schools Across NWT
Territory-wide testing of school drinking water will begin as soon as possible, using a priority-based approach guided by national best practices and advice from the CPHO.
This approach mirrors the one used for N.J. Macpherson School and prioritizes factors such as:
Age of the facility
Existing water quality data
Age of the student population
Results from initial random sampling
A detailed testing protocol has been finalized and will be reviewed by the CPHO before broader testing begins. Once approved, full details will be shared.
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.
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
Matthew Mallon A/Manager, Communications Health and Social Services Government of the Northwest Territories HSSMedia@gov.nt.ca
Jacqueline McKinnon Manager, Public Affairs and Communications Infrastructure Government of the Northwest Territories INF_Communications@gov.nt.ca 867-767-9088 ext. 31166