The city has had a good response to its lead reduction program so far.
Lead Reduction Administrator Zac Ives said city employees started visiting homes within the "lead zone" boundary, from the St. Clair River east to Murphy Road and Highway 402 south to St. Andrew Street, in May.
"Currently we've had about 1,000 samples completed," said Ives. "We're hoping to reach about 1,300 homes by the end of the year and we're going to be sampling, hopefully, into October."
There is no cost to homeowners for the visit.
"A sampling team will come to the door and they'll ask to sample your kitchen sink. So what they do, is they run your water for 5 minutes and then they take a water sample. That sample is then sent to a lab in London and we mail the results to the homeowners in about two weeks," said Ives.
He said the team will also do a visual inspection of the water meter coming into your house.
If high levels of lead are found, Ives said the team will return to your home for further investigation.
"The second sample that we'll ask to take is actually a stagnation sample, so we run your water for five minutes and then we let it stagnate within the pipe for 30 minutes, and if that sample comes back within the Ontario regulatory standard, which is 10 micrograms per litre, we will discuss with the homeowner as to what their different options are, such as a full-service line replacement or lead filters as a temporary solution."
Ives said only two per cent of the properties tested so far have registered above Ontario's regulatory standard for lead content in drinking water.
Residents are still encouraged to make appointments, and signs are being placed on homes already tested to promote the program.
Those wishing to book an appointment are asked to call 519-332-0527 ext. 2232.
