City of Regina wants to give residents filters, free lead-testing kits

The City of Regina wants to give filters to residents serviced by leadpipes to removechemicals from tapwater.

City councilwill vote on a request to add measuresto its existing lead service connection management program at its meeting June 26.

A service connection is the piping that connects a city water main to a property or business owner's plumbing system.

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• Regina to test drinking water for lead

The city has about 7,000 service connections.A report headed tothemeeting explains lead was commonly used in these connection, as well as some household plumbing.

"Between 1900 and the 1930s, lead was a common plumbing material used in service connections, but also in some home plumbing, solder and brass," it reads.

Back in 2014, the citybegan replacing some lead service connections and now has about 3,900 left.

The report says in anticipation of new industry standards being introduced around lead piping, the city is taking some new steps, besides random testing and replacing current connections during construction projects.

One proposed initiative would see filters provided to property owners or at least a rebate to purchase one.

The other would give property owners the chance to submit samples to get tested for lead.

If approved by council, a filter rebate would be introduced in August, along with at-home testing kits. City-provided filters would not be available until September. A progress report would brought back to council in 2018.

The report says these new efforts would be funded through the 2017 utility budget.