Contact & Location
93 Skyway Avenue, Suite 101
Toronto, Ontario M9W 6N6
NOTE: This is a summary of Ontario Regulation 243/07 with integrated revisions effective as of July 1, 2017. On July 1, 2017, the title to the Regulation is revoked and the following substituted: (See: O. Reg. 459/16, s. 1)
This regulation applies to schools, private schools and child care centres. (Child care centres are any premises operated by a person licenced under the Child Care and Early Years Act to operate a child care centre at the premises). The samples must be taken from drinking water fountains and taps that are used for preparation of food or drink or for drinking purposes for consumption by children under the age of 18 (the fixtures).
Annual testing for lead in drinking water must be conducted between May 1 and October 31. For child care centres and schools offering instruction to students up to, and including, grade 3, at least 1/3 of all fixtures must be sampled in 2017, at least another 1/3 of all fixtures must be sampled in 2018, and all fixtures must be sampled by January 1, 2020. For schools offering instruction in grade 4 or higher only, every fixture not yet sampled must be sampled by January 1, 2022. Fixtures that have been previously sampled (after June 7, 2007) are considered to have been sampled for the purposes of this requirement.
Lab must report any exceedances to the School and other stakeholders, as outlined in the regulation, within 24 hours and the school must report to Medical Officer of Health, MOECC Spills Action Centre and the Ministry of Education within 24 hours.
If an exceedance is reported, do the following:
Tip: Implementing a policy to use bottled water only until the exceedance is eliminated is considered a best practice.
Water must be flushed at all school, private school or child care centre at least weekly by running the last tap on each water line run for 5 minutes and then run each tap or fountain for at least 10 seconds before weekly occupancy begins. A record of the flushing must be made.
Water must be flushed daily if at least one of the following is true:
This regulation does not apply to non-powered system if notices warning that water is not safe to drink are posted.
Director may order alternate arrangements. On or before the second anniversary of the given direction mentioned, the Director shall review the direction and its implementation. Notification must be given to the Director indicating the laboratory that will analyse the samples before testing is done.
Samples may be taken only once in every third calendar year if all of the following is true:
These exceptions generally apply to all new schools or child care centres.
Source: Law Document English View. (2015, April 13). Retrieved February 28, 2017, from https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/070243
ABOUT T. HARRIS ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
Harris Environmental Management Inc. (THEM)is a leading Canadian environmental consulting firm in the fields of environmental services, hazardous materials management, industrial hygiene, and occupational health and safety. Our professional staff serve a wide range of clientele including commercial, government, industrial institutional, and residential. We are passionate about health & safety and committed to excellence. For more than 35 years, we continue to provide high quality services, taking pride in building long-term relationships with our clients. We are dedicated to understanding your concerns and meeting your needs by delivering efficient, cost-effective solutions.
Mission: To be the preeminent niche environmental and occupational health and safety consulting firm in Ontario and Quebec.
Vision: To enhance our position as a premier niche environmental consulting company based on knowledge, innovation, technology, and be at the forefront of emerging EHS concerns and regulatory changes. We will achieve this by further developing our expertise, fostering growth of our team, synergistic relationships, excellence in performance, and strengthening client relationships.
Value Statement: We are committed to understanding client concerns and meeting our client’s needs by formulating practical, efficient, and cost-effective solutions.