Brandon rolls out lead in water public awareness campaign, filter rebate

Brandonresidents affected bylead contentin their drinking waterwill be eligible for a water filter rebate beginning Aug.24, officials in the southwestern Manitoba city say.

Approvedby Brandon city council inJune, the program will provide eligible property owners with a one-time rebate of up to $100 on the purchase of a National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) certified water filter for lead removal.

Officials say they expectto post more details on the application process on the city'swebsitein the coming weeks.

The city believes about 3,600 homes were built using lead water servicelines.

Patrick Pulak, Brandon's director of engineering services and water resources, saidinformation packages will be sent to 5,200 propertiesto ensure no affected residents are excluded.

Who is eligible for the rebate?

• Property owners with leadwater service connections between their home and the water main; or
• Property owners with lab test results showing lead levels exceeding Health Canada's drinking water guidelines of 10 parts per billion (ppb).

InMay, a CBC News investigation found that 17 per cent of water samples tested through a city program and 10 per cent of samples gathered as part of the investigationexceeded whatHealth Canada considers safe drinking water.

• Lead content still a problem in Brandon's drinking water, tests show
• Brandon mayor says communication about lead in water needswork

The investigation revealed that the city had not taken significant action in light of the results and found that residents were largely unaware of the issues or misinformed.

In response to the findings, Mayor Rick Chrestsaid the city's communication strategy regarding the ongoing lead issues needed improvement.

Awareness campaign underway

Information packages containing details about the hazards of lead, testing methods and mitigation measures are currently being mailed out by the city to the 5,200 property ownersin advance of the water filter rebate program launch later this month.

"The City of Brandon's Engineering Department believes that the number of properties impacted by lead water services connections is actually far, far less than the number of informational packages we've sent out this week, but out of an abundance of caution and with public education in mind, we want to ensure that all properties that have the potential for having a lead service connection are properly notified,"Pulak said in a news release Tuesday.

The city says the contents of the informational package weredeveloped in collaboration with the Prairie Mountain Health Authority and the Manitoba government's Office of Drinking Water.