Lead in drinking water

Since 2019, we have heard a lot about lead in the water. This came in response to a decision by Health Canada, which, after a lengthy review of the available scientific evidence, decided in March 2019 to reduce its recommendations to increase the tolerable maximum in drinking water from 10 to 5 µg/L (microgram per litre, or ppb). This is not the first time that the level of lead in drinking water has been lowered; prior to 2001, the acceptable standard in Quebec was 50 µg/L.