Replacing of lead pipes in Calgary could cost $11 million

CALGARY (660 NEWS) – The City of Calgary is looking into how to remove old lead pipes after a report showed it’s a bigger problem than expected in Canada.

A report will be drafted this week to figure out how to deal with the issue in Calgary which surprised some on City Council.

“We kind of felt smug about Flint, Michigan and how our water supply is so pristine,” said Ward 7 Councillor Druh Farrell. “It’s a fairly small problem compared to other cities. But it must be addressed.”

Farrell adds they can’t waste any time in solving the problem but admits there is a challenge.

“A lot of the lead pipes are in private property and some of them are in public property. We need to work with the residents, the owners.”

READ MORE: Investigation: Lead in some Canadian water worse than Flint

It’s estimated replacing old lead pipes in Calgary buildings could cost up to $11 million.

A report that surfaced earlier this week showed many Canadian cities have been exposed to high levels of lead in their drinking water, consistently higher than Flint.

Meanwhile, there is a call for the provincial government to help fix the issue.

Alberta NDP environment critic Marlin Schmidt is urging the UCP government to launch an immediate review.

“The results were shocking,” said Schmidt. “To know that Albertans have been exposed to such high levels of lead is incredibly troubling.”

He said the UCP should order water utilities to replace these lines or do it themselves.

Schmidt is also calling for a ban on plumbing fixtures that contain lead.

Out of 12,000 tests taken since 2014 in 11 cities, it’s reported one-third exceeded the national safety guideline of five parts per billion for lead.