According to Health Canada, exposure to lead can be harmful to human health, even in small amounts. Everyone is exposed to trace amounts of it in air, soil, household dust and drinking water. Although drinking water is not the most significant source of exposure in Canada, lead can leach into the water system from the corrosion of pipes and fittings, especially if those fittings touch stagnant water.
There are currently no regulations in Canada relating to lead content in plumbing products, but that situation is likely to change very soon. A new edition of the ASME/CSA standard for plumbing supply fittings, requiring the same low levels of lead content as that required for US products, was published in December 2012. The CSA also published, at the same time, a new edition of a standard that addresses plumbing fittings and is in line with the same low lead content requirements.
To encourage harmonization of the standards across North America, the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes (CCBFC) is also taking action. The Commission’s Standing Committee on Building and Plumbing Services has reviewed the updated plumbing fittings standards and recommended updating the versions currently referenced in the National Plumbing Code of Canada (NPC) 2010 to reflect the most current editions. As a result, and subject to approval by the CCBFC, these updates will be published as interim changes to the NPC 2010 by the end of 2013. As with all model code changes, it is up to the provincial/territorial regulatory authorities to consider when and how to adopt such changes into law.
For more information
Contact Diane Green at diane.green@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca or 613-993-0046.
