Manitoba testing community's drinking water for lead

The Manitoba Government is monitoring the drinking water in a number of communities to test for lead.
On Tuesday, the province confirmed it is working with water systems to find any lead exposure in Manitoba’s drinking water.
This comes after Health Canada created new guidelines for lead in drinking water in 2019, prompting the Manitoba government to adopt the guidelines as the standard. The province also created a lead in drinking water website and developed an operation guideline for water systems.
When it comes to lead monitoring programs, the province is prioritizing older, larger water systems that have known or suspected lead services. Lead monitoring was brought into Winnipeg in 2019 and then Brandon in 2021.
This year, Manitoba is phasing in lead monitoring programs in Dauphin, Flin Flon, Morden, Portage la Prairie, The Pas and Thompson.
These programs are currently at different stages of testing. Results will be made available online on the cities’ or towns’ respective websites.
On Tuesday, the City of Portage la Prairie tweeted that it is looking for volunteers to test their drinking water for lead. Those who would like to have their home sampled should call 204-239-8346 before May 31 to sign up.
- With files from CTV’s Danton Unger.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Two young ER doctors quit Montreal jobs, blaming Quebec's broken health-care system and Bill 96
Two young emergency room doctors, raised and trained in Montreal, are leaving their jobs after only two years to move back to Toronto – and they say the Quebec health-care model and Bill 96 are to blame.

Crown seeks to revoke bail for 'Freedom Convoy' organizer Tamara Lich
The Crown is seeking to revoke bail for Tamara Lich, a leader of the "Freedom Convoy," after she appeared alongside a fellow organizer in an alleged breach of her conditions.
Gunman fired more than 70 rounds at July 4 parade, killing seven: police
The gunman who attacked an Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago fired more than 70 rounds with an AR-15-style gun that killed at least seven people, then evaded initial capture by dressing as a woman and blending into the fleeing crowd, police said Tuesday.
Bank of Canada's rapid rate hikes likely to cause a recession, study finds
The Bank of Canada's strategy of rapidly increasing its key interest rate in an effort to tackle skyrocketing inflation will likely trigger a recession, says a new study released Tuesday from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
Canada is the first country to ratify Finland and Sweden's accession to join NATO
Canada became the first country to ratify Finland and Sweden's accession protocols to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Tuesday.
Grab a seat: Passport lineups prompt Canada to urgently procure hundreds of chairs
As passport processing delays and long lineups persist at Service Canada offices, the federal government is looking to buy 801 chairs for people standing in line by the end of this week.
Assembly National Chief Archibald takes stage at meeting despite suspension
Dressed in Indigenous regalia, National Chief RoseAnne Archibald strode into the annual Assembly of First Nations gathering in Vancouver ahead of a group of chanting supporters on Tuesday. Just the day before, Archibald said she had been 'erased' from the agenda after her suspension in June. Instead, she led opening ceremonies and welcomed attendees in her opening address.
What we know about the Highland Park shooting suspect
Hours after gunfire interrupted the Highland Park, Illinois, July Fourth parade, killing six people and wounding dozens more, police apprehended the man they believe was responsible.
Cancelled flights have northern Ont. hospital risking ER closure
With doctor shortages causing emergency rooms around the country to shut down, a northern Ontario hospital is scrambling to stave off the same fate.