Transport committee  Thank you. My name is Michèle Grenier. I'm the executive director of the Ontario Water Works Association. We're a section of the American Water Works Association, which is the largest organization of water supply professionals in the world. The Canadian section was founded in 19

Transport committee  In terms of the schools, the most recent report from the chief drinking water inspector in Ontario has data on lead exceedances in schools. About 4% of schools have exceedances on either standing or flushed samples, or 4% of samples exceed the MAC on standing or flushed. By and l

Transport committee  In general, most schools do not have lead service lines. The source of lead in schools tends to be from brass, because until 2014 even lead-free brass had 8% lead. It's often a tin-lead solder combination from pre-1990 construction, but we've also seen an increase in lead concent

Transport committee  By and large, it's still copper piping. There is a requirement for lead-free brass and lead-free solder. Again, it's what the definition of “lead-free” traditionally has been that has been problematic.

Transport committee  We used the Energy Star program as an example in the sense that we were made aware that it was very successful in getting people to turn over their older appliances. In this situation we would propose, or we would like to see, essentially a matching grant program for homeowners,

Transport committee  I think the figure that's been thrown around in the U.S. is close to $1 trillion on lead service lines, so if we divide by a factor of nine or 10—

Transport committee  Yes.

Transport committee  Lead service lines were installed with great frequency mainly during the Second World War, so any homes built prior to 1950 are likely to have lead service lines.

Transport committee  In my opinion, a study is needed in order to determine whether municipalities can achieve the new maximum concentration strictly by controlling corrosion or replacing service lines. To achieve that level, should it be recommended that members of the public purchase a filter?

Transport committee  That's right.

Transport committee  Yes, that is right. According to the Health Canada proposal published in the spring, if we reduce the maximum concentration from 10 to 5 micrograms per litre, 7% of the population would be under the limit in terms of blood levels. So it is the same, especially once the other s

Transport committee  No, our member utilities do.

Transport committee  It varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, based on provincial regulations, but essentially in Ontario there is monitoring continuously, 24 hours a day around the clock, at the treatment plants, and in the distribution system it's essentially daily.

Transport committee  Yes.

Transport committee  Yes, in the U.S.