Bulletin
CapU – Water and Fixture Testing
February 15, 2024
To: All MoveUP Members at CapilanoU
On Thursday February 8, we met with the employer to discuss upcoming water fixture testing and we were provided with two reports, from 2020 and 2021, outlining fixtures at the University that tested above the federal guideline value for lead in drinking water. This was the first time we were notified of these test results.
Lead is a metal found naturally in the environment. Lead was a common component of water distribution systems in Canada prior to the creation of the National Plumbing Code in 1970. Lead in pipes was subsequently banned in 1975, followed by solder in 1986. However, buildings and homes in Canada built prior to these bans may still have lead plumbing that may be leeching lead into drinking water by lead pipes, fixtures or solder. Leeched lead levels in water also fluctuate based on whether water is stagnate in pipes and fixtures for long periods of time. Hot water also tends to leech more lead than cold water. Health Canada guidelines state that handwashing with water with higher lead context is considered safe.
Canada recently lowered the maximum allowable concentration for lead in drinking water in 2019 from 10mcg\L to 5mcg\L. The lowering of the limit prompted many institutions and schools in Canada, including Capilano University, to test fixtures to ensure compliance with the new limits. Vancouver Coastal Health also requires regular testing for licensed child care facilities, such as the Children’s Center.
We’ve reviewed the testing reports performed in 2020 and 2021 and have noted several fixtures at the University with higher concentration of lead than the maximum acceptable concentration per Health Canada guidelines. In the 2020 testing results, some of these fixtures were near compliance with the previous 10mcg\L limit while others were far above acceptable concentration:
| <10mcg\L | >10mcg\L |
| Birch, Office 254 (6.3 mcg\l) | Fir 3rd Floor 309 Instructor Sink (11 mcg\l) |
| Birch, Room 380 Lab (6.8 mcg\l) | Birch Office 257 (25 mcg\l) |
| Birch, Room 379 (6.9 mcg\l) | Fir, Music Therapy Room 119 (110 mcg\l) |
| Sportsplex, Water Cooler Fill Tap (8.2 mcg\l) | Fir, 3rd Flr Greenhouse (91 mcg\l) |
| Sportsplex, Teams Room B (7.1 mcg\l) | Fir, 3rd flr, Biology Lab (110 mcg\l) |
| Sportsplex, 1st floor washroom (8.4 mcg\l) | Fir, 3rd floor Chemical\Equipment (370 mcg\l) |
| Sportsplex, Room 111A (6.7 mcg\l) | Fir 3rd floor, 404 Instructor Sink (99 mcg\l) |
| Fir, Mens Washroom (9.5 mcg\l) | Fir 3rd floor, Preserved Specimen Room (43 mcg\l) |
| Fir, 3rd flr, Biology Lab Bench Sink0 (8.7 mcg\l) | Fir 309 Bench Sink (53 mcg\l) |
| Fir 3rd, floor DW Lab Sink (5.1 mcg\l) | Fir, 3rd floor Chem Lab Bench Sink (44 mcg\l) |
| Fir Office 309A (6.9 mcg\l) | Cedar, Room 339 (18 mcg\l) |
| Fir 3rd Floor 302 Instructor sink (6 mcg\l) | Arbutus, 205 Work Room (100 mcg\l) |
| Fir 3rd Floor 302 Back Bench (9.6 mcg\l) | Library , Kitchen 323 (13 mcg\l) |
| Fir Physics 302 D (9.1 mcg\l) | Fir, 3rd floor prep area 314 (1400 mcg\l) |
| Fir, 3rd floor prep area sink (5.6 mcg\l) | Fir 3rd floor 308 bench sink (46 mcg\l) |
| Cedar, Lab 228 (>5.0 mcg\l) | Fir 3rd floor Storage 314C (67 mcg\l) |
| Arbutus, First Aid 016 (8.7 mcg\l) | Fir 3rd floor, 310 Sinks (11 mcg\l) |
| Arbutus, Print Room (6.7 mcg\l) | Cedar, Room 131 (12 mcg\l) |
| Arbutus, Dressing Room 003 (8.5 mcg\l) | Cedar, Room 238 (7.5 mcg\l) |
| Arbutus, Room 206 (8.6 mcg\l) | Cedar, Room 241 (10 mcg\l) |
| Library, Room 120 (7.6 mcg\l) | Cedar, Room 236 (750 mcg\l) |
The University has advised that upon receiving the testing results that non-potable water signs were put on these fixtures in 2020. The University replaced some of the fixtures to mitigate and re-tested in 2021, and most of the mitigated fixtures tested below the limit. The mitigated and replaced fixtures were:
| Arbutus Room 206 – Kitchen Faucet |
| Birch Room 257 – Office Faucet |
| Cedar Room 339 – Staff Room Faucet |
| Cedar Room 131 – Storage Room Faucet |
| Fir Room 119 – Mustic Therapy Room Faucet |
| Fir Room 302D – Physics Lab Faucet |
| Fir Room 309A – Biology Lab Faucet |
| Library Room 323 – Kitchen Faucet |
| CSW Room 107 – Storage Room Cooler Fill |
| CSW Weight Room Concession Double Sink |
| Fitness Center – Mens Change Room Fountain |
| Fitness Center – Mens Change Room Bottle Fill Station |
We are not aware of other mitigation plans for fixture replacement at this time, however the University will be moving forward with an in-depth inquiry process by a 3rd party hygiene testing company and WorksafeBC has now been informed. The inquiry is currently underway in Fir specifically, and a meeting has been scheduled for today for employees to drop in and ask questions from 11:30 to 1:00 PM in FR205. You can read the fact sheet that was provided by the University here. We will continue to discuss the ongoing testing and mitigation efforts with the University to ensure compliance with regulation on occupational health and safety in the workplace.
We are providing you this information to ensure you are aware of potential exposure if you believe you have ingested water from any of the fixtures listed above. We have attached the reports as well, and the University has informed us that the reports will be made available on the safety section of frontlines. If you feel that you may have potentially ingested water from any of these fixtures, we recommend that you register the exposure with WorksafeBC here out of an abundance of caution:
We will provide ongoing updates on this matter as they become available.
In Solidarity,
Nathan Beausoleil, Union Representative
Christy Slusarenko, Vice President of Combined Units