Lead ingestion most commonly occurs through drinking contaminated water but an also occur through exposure of contaminated soil, air and other lead based products, such as lead-based paints and ammunition

Lead is not in the Sault Ste. Marie municipal drinking water system, but can be found in: 

• Water service lines in homes built before the mid ‘50s
• Leaded solder used to join pipes prior to 1990.
• Leaded-brass fixtures like faucets and valves.

Residents may experience some amount of lead when water has been allowed to sit in the lead piping of their homes for 6 hours or more.  Flushing the lines by running the cold water for at least five minutes will reduce the levels of lead in drinking water where lead service lines are present.  If a home has known issues with lead an in-line filter can be installed to reduce the exposure risk.

If you own a home with lead service connections between the city water main and your home and are concerned about lead in your drinking water contact a licensed private laboratory in Ontario that will perform lead testing.  There is a fee associated with this testing and the shipping of the bottles.  Please contact the lab for information on their fees, testing method, and shipping requirements.

If testing of your water shows a lead level greater than 10 parts per billon (ppb), contact Algoma Public Health.  Immediate precautions must be taken if your household includes: 

• Pregnant women
• Infants
• Children of ages 6 and under

Boiling water will not remove lead from your drinking water.  Use bottled water until your water service/plumbing is replaced or a lead-removal filter is installed.