Operations Services

Operations Services

The Operational Services department is responsible for the management of building operations, facility rentals, planning and student transportation functions of the HRCE.

Operations Services also works with the provincial government on various projects, including new school construction, major additions/alterations and capital repairs.

For more information on current capital projects, click here.

To submit concerns related to school facilities or grounds, email hrceoperations@hrce.ca.

Operations Services divisions:
 

  • Property Services - Responsible for school building systems and grounds including maintenance, repairs, capital projects, energy management, regulatory compliance, custodial services, after hours security, snow maintenance and waste collection.

  • Student Transportation Services - Ensures bus services are provided in accordance with the provincial School Transportation Policy. Works with bus providers and Halifax Transit to achieve efficient bus routes that meet regulatory safety requirements and student delivery standards. To learn more about buses and routes, click here.

  • Facilities Rentals - The HRCE encourages and supports the community use of our facilities outside of normal instructional hours, provided facilities are used on a cost recovery basis. The HRCE partners with the Halifax Regional Municipality who oversees the booking of school and fields for community use. For more information, click here.

  • Planning - Provides support for a long range capital infrastructure renewal plan, including municipal development and enrolment projection data. The planning team provides data that supports new school site selection and school steering teams, school review and boundary review processes.

Introduction

In December of 2019, the Province of Nova Scotia committed to testing the lead and copper concentration levels in the water in all public schools across Nova Scotia after Health Canada revised its guidelines.

To ensure that families were confident in the availability of safe drinking water, the government also put bottled water in every public school in Nova Scotia. This water will remain in place until appropriate remediation steps are taken.

Results

Nova Scotia is committed to supplying clean drinkable water to our students and staff in our public schools. Currently, all schools receive clean drinking water. This will not change.

To find results for a particular school, press the Ctrl or Command key and F to reveal the search menu. Schools are also listed in alphabetical order for quick reference. Data captured includes school name, location of the water source in the school, the sample ID code for the water system/plumbing route tested, and the concentration of lead and copper. The final column will list the next steps if a water source exceeded Health Canada Guidelines.

Concentrations of lead and copper are presented in milligrams per litre (mg/L). Health Canada’s maximum acceptable concentration of lead in drinking water is 0.0050 mg/L; the maximum acceptable concentration of copper in drinking water is 2.0000 mg/L.

The data also shows where the water “passed” the test, or if the water “exceed limits.” Water taps that exceed lead and/or copper limits will not be used for drinking water. These taps will be either replaced, disconnected, taped off, or restricted to hand washing only.

Looking Ahead

Nova Scotia’s remediation plan for school water includes the following measures:

  • ongoing remediation of water taps, plumbing and/or pipes
  • restrict access to water taps that do not meet Health Canada guidelines
  • ongoing communication with students and staff about water safety efforts at their school

More Information

For more information about Health Canada’s guidelines related to lead and copper, visit:

As part of a layered COVID-19 response and at the direction of Public Health, a thorough and detailed review of all ventilation systems was performed to ensure all schools in HRCE had well-maintained ventilation systems operating as designed before the start of school in September 2020.

Checks included windows, filter maintenance, lubrication and electrical and controls. Much of this work was regular preventative maintenance tasks that would be due or coming due shortly.

Ventilation system checks were one of several public health safety measures undertaken to ensure students could attend school in-person.

Out of an abundance of caution, these checks have continued. Please click below to view reporting summaries: