Submitted by Belle Auld
First of all the good news – according to the City of Calgary, Sunnyhill Housing Coop does not have lead water pipes in our units. Also, lead pipes were not used in the city water lines when Sunnyhill was built. However, the city cannot guarantee that the water pipes that were used to connect our units to the city water lines do not contain lead.
It turns out that the water lines that connect our units to the city water lines were built in 1919.
There is still very little chance that those were lead – in 1919, according to the city, copper was being used at that time. But, just to be cautious and ultra-safe, the City of Calgary Water Resources will be testing our water for lead. They will not be able to do this until late spring 2020 – when all water testing is done.
In the meantime, if anyone is concerned about water quality, the city suggests you can purchase a NSF-53 water filtration pitcher that will filter lead from the water. I’ve done some research and found that all ZeroWater pitchers are NSF-53 certified. You can buy them from Bed, Bath and Beyond; Home Depot; Walmart and Amazon.ca.
Here is the link to one at Home Depot for $24.99
https://www.homedepot.ca/product/zerowater-ready-pour-7-cup-pitcher/1001412036
For your information, here is what the City of Calgary Water Resources has said:
Our records show that while your property was constructed in 1978, the water service still appears to be from the 1919 vintage. This is unusual given the property likely would have had a new service required as part of construction. In either case, lead was not typically used in 1919 and was also not allowed to be used in 1978, so your risk is relatively low. That said, given there is a degree of uncertainty we will certainly contact you in the spring to arrange for sampling as part of our 2020 Tap Water Sampling Program.