Regrettably, Ontario’s government still hasn’t implemented key recommendations from the inquiry to strengthen regulations limiting lead in drinking water. Their continued failure to act is especially troubling given its public health implications. Ontario already has a conservative lead content standard in drinking water of 10 parts per billion (ppb). This limit is particularly impressive given that it exceeds the federal US Environmental Protection Agency’s 5 ppb guideline, which the Canadian government adopted in 2019. Most provinces quickly adopted this new norm. Ontario is truly an outlier, earning condemnation from public health experts and health advocacy groups.
Recent internal documents, obtained through a freedom of information request, reveal that Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment has been working hard to downplay lead levels in drinking water. These conversations are ones that have consumed years of discussion and deliberation. The documents indicate that officials considered aligning the provincial limit with the federal benchmark as early as June 29, 2021. Yet, no decisive action has been taken.
In 2023-24, data showed that 26 municipalities in Ontario reported at least one lead test exceeding the provincial limit of 10 ppb. These results have raised alarms among public health advocates who argue that elevated lead levels pose significant health risks, particularly to children.
Growing Health Concerns
Pediatric health experts like Dr. Bruce Lanphear are clear that we can—and must—do better by lowering the provincial lead limit immediately. As Dr. Lanphear points out, making the standard more stringent would have a major positive impact on reducing children’s blood lead levels. This decrease can stop permanent cognitive deficits from occurring.
So, an environmental sciences expert like Miriam Diamond regards the inaction on this truly toxic issue as a public health failure. She expressed her frustration by stating, “It’s painful to see our authorities not following the evidence when people’s health is at risk.” Diamond thinks the delay in adopting stricter standards is part of a bigger pattern of neglecting public health.
The Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) was able to secure the release of the internal documents. They highlight the need for immediate, large-scale action to address the worries over lead in drinking water. Julie Mutis, the lead author of CELA’s report, makes a compelling case for why federal law must require full lead pipe replacements. She frames this turn as “a question of upending the status quo.”
The Call for Action
The internal presentation documents from Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment show a clear commitment to improving lead action plans. The documents state, “There are opportunities to streamline and strengthen Ontario’s lead action plan,” indicating that officials acknowledge the need for improvement.
Yet for all these acknowledgments, critics ask why more action hasn’t been taken. The ministry failed to answer multiple requests for comment on this urgent matter. The lack of transparency and communication has left many feeling frustrated, as they believe that civil servants are prepared to act but are hindered by bureaucratic inertia.
“Lead in water is something that is not flashy. You can’t see it, you can’t taste it. It’s always having a society-wide impact,” she said. Her intention is that municipalities will work to remove lead from their water systems before it reaches children and families.
A Public Health Crisis
The lead in Ontario’s drinking water situation is just the tip of a larger public health catastrophe. As experts have long made clear, there is no safe level of lead exposure—which is why reducing the standard even to 5 ppb is absolutely essential. The Ministry of the Environment’s own presentation acknowledges that “Ontario’s current standard is less stringent than the new guideline and the province has been criticized for not adopting it.”
The increasing trend of lead test results calls for immediate and targeted action on behalf of Ontario’s government. Recent federal litigation Municipalities are grappling with extreme levels of lead. Public health advocates have been pushing them to act swiftly and boldly to preserve and promote community health.
