The City’s Utility Services Manager says there are no concerns about lead in the Kamloops water distribution system.

Greg Wightman was speaking in the wake of a year long investigation that showed high lead content in water systems across Canada.

“We definitely want to give water users of Kamloops the assurance that we do not have an issue with lead here in Kamloops,” he told NL. “Our infrastructure is such that we do not have any lead pipes within our distribution system, so we don’t generate the challenges that some of the communities mentioned in that report have.”

Test results from Montreal, Regina, Saskatoon, Moose Jaw and Prince Rupert as an example showed lead levels comparable to – or even greater than – those of U.S. cities like Flint that made international headlines for their tainted water.

Wightman admits it was an eye-opening report.

“If there is any concerns at all within the city, it would be in some of the older buildings that would pre-date the changes in the building code back in 1975 when lead was no longer allowed as a plumbing material. As far as the distribution system and the supply of water, absolutely no concern here in Kamloops with lead.”

He says the city regularly tests the water for lead and other dissolved impurities

“We do sample for lead and all of the time, we’re below the detectable limits so. It’s pretty much a non issue within the distribution system in Kamloops.”