ISLAND VIEW HIGH SCHOOL
1853 Caldwell Road, Eastern Passage, NS. B3G 1J3, Canada.
Phone: 902-466-6341 / Email: ivh@hrce.ca / Fax: 902-466-6348
January 14, 2020

Families & Staff:

We are writing to follow up on the announcement from the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development on providing drinking water in schools.

Earlier this year, Health Canada set a new guideline for lead in drinking water.  You can learn more about this guideline here.  Along with the new guideline, which reduces the maximum acceptable concentration of lead in drinking water, are sampling protocols for how and when water can be tested.

As a result, all water sources in all school in Nova Scotia will be sampled for lead.  This sampling must take place in warmer weather between June and October, according to health Canada’s Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality.

On December 19, the Province announced that all public schools across Nova Scotia will be provided with drinking water starting in January, if:

• They have not yet been tested for lead; or
• They have been tested and it has been determined alternate water is needed.

ISLAND VIEW HIGH SCHOOL HAS NOT BEEN TESTED TO THE NEW PROTOCOL.

Our Operations team is working with suppliers to place water and dispensers in all schools as soon as possible.  Through the month of January, these alternative water sources will be placed in school and will remain at least until the end of the school year.  Please be assured that schools will spend time educating students on using these alternative water sources.

It is now necessary that all students attending Island View High School bring in a water bottle or cup to hold water that they get from the provided coolers.  Drinking from the fountains is no long an option.

The Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE)takes the health and safety of our students and employees very seriously.  We are ready to sample the more than 6,000 water fountains and faucets in our 139 school buildings in June in accordance with the Health Canada guidelines.

Please reach out to HRCE at connect@hrce.ca if you have any questions.

You may also direct any questions to staff in the school’s main office.

Yours truly

Pat Savage, Principal