Lead in Drinking Water Grant Program extended until 2025

📣 Attention all parents!

MEIA is pleased to announce that the Manitoba government has extended the Lead in Drinking Water Grant for schools and child care centres for an additional year, until March 31, 2025.

This extension will ensure that any schools or child care centres that have not yet tested their drinking water for lead can do so for free and will fully fund mitigation efforts for facilities with elevated lead levels in their drinking water. Mitigation allows schools and centres to minimize the risk of lead in their drinking water by installing filtration systems or removing the source of the lead (e.g., upgrading plumbing, replacing fixtures, removing lead service lines), effectively reducing or removing lead.

Why is lead in drinking water a concern?

Lead exposure poses a risk to everyone’s health, but children and infants are the most at risk because of their developing brains. Lead exposure can affect neurological development and behaviour in children, including reduction of IQ. These health effects may occur even at low concentrations.

Ask your child care centre if they have participated in the program.

More information can be found on our website here.