Community activist uncovers locations of city-owned lead water connections

The addresses of more than 3,000 properties in Regina with a city-owned lead water connection can now be viewed online.

Community activist Florence Stratton filed a freedom-of-information request to the City of Regina, asking for a map. She received a list, which has been posted on the Open Regina website.

Stratton wants the information to be shared widely to pressure the city into replacing the pipes.

The City of Regina plans to replace all of its 3,600 lead water connections by 2036. This was after council changed course on a previous decision to swap them out by 2025. Most of the connections are located in older neighbourhoods.

The new timeline frustrates the Cathedral resident, who was among those with a lead connection.

“Lead in the water is terribly harmful, particularly to children, and that has Health Canada says it lowers their IQ. But it has a bad effect on adults, too,” Stratton said.

“Kidneys, blood pressure, Health Canada says it may cause cancer as well.”

To make sure drinking water is lead-free, lead pipes need to be removed on private property as well. A program was supposed to be created to help residents with the cost.

Stratton isn’t waiting for it. She recently had the work done on her home at a cost of about $4,000.

The city has a program where residents can get water filters or rebates to buy them. Until recently, Stratton was using a pitcher-styled filter for drinking water, which she found to be slow and tedious.

“If I want to fill up my kettle, I have to put the kettle under there for five minutes because … the water dribbles out,” she said.

“Time is precious and I’m wasting who knows how much time every day filling up glasses of water.”

Now that the work has been done on her home, Stratton said it’s a “huge psychological relief.” But she still has a hard time accepting that it will take 15 years for the city to make its pipes lead-free.

“I don’t know how we can carry on like this. How we can live with ourselves, not caring for our fellow citizens and particularly the youngest among us.”