Rossland’s École des Sept-sommets is one of six B.C. schools that will soon have access to healthier water.
The Ministry of Education announced Monday, Dec. 4 that projects at the six schools were being funded through the School Enhancement Program for a total of $750,000.
“Kids should be able to get a drink of clean, healthy water from water fountains at school. Now students at these schools will be able to do that,” Rob Fleming, Minister of Education, said in the release. “My goal is to have every student in B.C. attend a healthy and safe school, and this is another step toward achieving that goal. We know we have more work to do, and that is why we are accelerating capital investments throughout B.C.”
The release went on to explain that “[t]he Province is funding these upgrades because recent testing found elevated levels of lead in water sources at several schools in the province. Currently, schools with unsafe lead content in their drinking water are routinely flushing the pipes or shutting down the affected systems to ensure student safety. The provincial health officer has said there is no evidence of children having been adversely affected by lead in drinking water in B.C.”
The six projects are projected to be completed by March 31, 2018, and will take place at the following schools:
• École des Sept-sommets
• the Children’s Development Centre in Saanich
• École Sundance Elementary in Victoria
• Lake City Secondary School — Columneetza Campus in Williams Lake
• Mountview Elementary School in Williams Lake
• Naghtaneqed Elementary/Junior Secondary School in Nemiah Valley.