Brandon mayor says communication about lead in water needs work

BrandonMayor RickChrestsays the city'scommunication strategy to residents about reducinglead exposure needs improvement.

A recent CBC News investigation found that, in addition to ongoing problems with higher than normal lead concentrations in some homes, many residents feel left in the dark in terms of the true extent of the health risks.

When asked whether the city is doing an adequate job communicating with citizens about the drinking water concerns,MayorChrest said"We are not."

"I would say that we have been working on this. Our new council is extremely interested in this issue," saidChrest.

He said prior to his term as mayorin 2013, the initial discovery of high lead concentrations by the province lead brought the issue to light.

"It received a lot of attention at the time, but then you fail to realize, people are moving all the time. The person that may have lived in one house, and was fully aware of issues may have moved out and someone moved in more recently and may not have any idea," he said.

Brandonhas to improve how it communicates the risks posed by lead to new homeowners, Chrestsaid.

"We know that as they're working through some new services and mitigation measures that the communication has to be enhanced," the mayor said.

• Lead content still a problem in Brandon's drinking water, tests show

• Higher lead amounts in water found in some Brandon homes

When asked about the delays in implementing the use of orthophosphates to reduce the corrosion of older lead service lines, Chrestsaid the impact of using this additive must first be thoroughly studied first to understand how it could impact the water's chemistry.

"We view it as one of the highest responsibilities that we have and I know that our council won't have any hesitation in making sure we provide a commitment to getting this issue resolved as expeditiously as possible," he said.

In a written statement, the Manitoba government said "drinking water is generally not the most significant source of exposure to lead and the amount of lead in natural water sources in Manitoba is very low .... The most significant source of lead exposure for children is generally considered to be chipping, peeling and cracking paint in older homes."

Health Canada confirms it isin the process of updating guidelines for lead in drinking water based on new scientific evidence and priorities from stakeholders across the country.

Proposed updates to the guidelines will be made public later in 2016.