December 17, 2015 - The City of Thunder Bay is moving into the next phase of implementing its Corrosion Control Plan in January.

An update on the plan - which will use pH adjustment to reduce lead corrosion in drinking water pipes - was presented to residents at a public information session held lastnight at the North End Community Centre on Huron Avenue. 

"The next phase of the Corrosion Control Plan will involve a pilot study in the Hodder Pressure Zone in the Current River Area," said Erin Marcella-Fui, Operations Supervisor - Bare Point Water Treatment Plant. "The pilot study will begin in January, when small amounts of a pH buffering agent will be added to the water to test its effectiveness in reducing lead levels.

"The pilot project will be monitored closely," she said. "Thunder Bay still has many lead service pipes, and we have a provincial requirement to lower levels of lead being released into the City's drinking water from service connections and private plumbing. The addition of this pH buffering agent will help us do that, and it is completely safe to consume."

Lead in drinking water can originate from older internal pipes and lead service lines or from the solder used to connect the pipes or fixtures, both of which could contain high levels of lead. Homes built prior to the mid-1950s are more likely to have lead pipes and service lines. Homes built between the mid-1950s and 1989 most likely would not have lead pipes or service lines, but lead could be present in some fixtures or solder. Approximately 8,000 City homes are estimated to have lead service pipes.

Representatives of the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change and the Thunder Bay District Health Unit were also in attendance at Wednesday's public information sessions to answer questions from residents. 

The Hodder Pressure Zone was chosen for this pilot study due to its proximity to the Bare Point Water Treatment Plant, the size of the pressure zone, and the number of known lead service pipes in the area. 

For more information, call 625-2195 or visit thunderbay.ca/leadpipes

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Contact:           Erin Marcella-Fui, Operations Supervisor - Bare Point Water Treatment Plant, 684-3505