Water advisory for the Barton Building at Macdonald Campus

Dear members of the Macdonald Campus community,

Please do not drink the water from Barton Building taps and fountains until further notice. You must also avoid using it in meal preparation and teeth-brushing. The water is safe for washing hands and dishes. A routine water test in one washroom indicated that lead levels were above the regulatory threshold.

To ensure that occupants are aware of the issue, we are putting up signage and shutting off water fountains.

Please note that the Barton link and cafeteria are exceptions and are safe. Their water comes from a different source than the rest of the building.

Details of the testing

Six water tests were undertaken at Macdonald Campus between July 16 and August 20, 2023. One undertaken in a washroom in Barton came back with results of 7 micrograms of lead per liter. The regulatory threshold is 5 micrograms.

Though Public Health officials did not recommend issuing a water advisory, the University is proceeding with one, pending further investigation and testing.

Sources of water and next steps

Until further notice, please use water from other buildings for drinking, food preparation and teeth-brushing.

As soon as the cause of the lead contamination has been identified and remedied, signage will be removed and occupants notified about the end of the advisory.

We apologize for inconvenience and concern caused by this situation,

Facilities Management and Ancillary Services