French | English

A massive national investigation has just revealed that hundreds of thousands of Canadians are drinking toxic lead in their water every day. We have to stop this now.

The investigation shows that toxic lead poisoning in several Canadians cities is even worse than the poisoning residents of Flint, Michigan suffered in their water crisis. Residents in cities across the country have been consuming tap water with lead levels that exceed Canada’s federal guidelines.

Lead is toxic - it hurts adult organs and damages kids’ brains. Health Canada and the World Health Organization agree that there is no safe level of lead. Exposure can cause high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems, kidney dysfunction, and pregnancy complications in adults. In children, even low levels of lead exposure affect a child’s IQ and their ability to focus. Children below the age of seven are most at risk from lead exposure, which can cause severe brain and kidney damage.

We need to come together to call on the government to stop the lead poisoning now, please sign and share this petition.

As Canadians, most of us assume our drinking water is safe. We cook with it and our children and families drink it every single day. We’ve never suspected that our tap water was laced with dangerous levels of toxic metals.

“This is a significant health concern, people should be warned [and] something should be done.” — Virginia Tech Prof. Marc Edwards, whose study of the Flint water system helped reveal the dangerous lead levels.

Parents can’t make sure their children are drinking safe water because children at schools and daycares across the country are likely being exposed to dangerous levels of lead in their drinking water. Without government action, parents won’t be able to protect their children from toxic lead poisoning outside their homes.

Provincial governments were warned that children were at risk. But most haven’t taken action to lower the risk by requiring mandatory testing and taking action.

This is a national crisis. Canada is one of the only developed countries in the world that does not have a nationwide drinking water standard. We need a national mandate to test drinking water for toxic lead and action to stop lead poisoning.

For a country so proud of its majestic lakes and rivers, this is unacceptable and shameful. It’s also unacceptable and shameful that so many Indigenous communities in Canada have also been fighting for clean water on reserves for decades. It’s time EVERY Canadian has access to clean water.

If enough people speak out now the government will have to act. Please sign and share this petition to demand a national drinking water standard with mandatory lead testing for ALL Canadians. Canadians need safe water NOW.