Drinking Water Protection Act

The Drinking Water Protection Act and regulation replace the Safe Drinking Water Regulation under the Health Act.

The Act covers ALL water systems other than single family dwellings (and systems excluded through the regulation) and outlines requirements for water suppliers in terms of ensuring that the water supplied to their users is potable and meets any additional requirements established by the Drinking Water Protection Regulation or by the water supply system's operating permit as set by the local Drinking Water Officer.

Overview of the Act

The Drinking Water Protection Act sets out certain requirements for drinking water operators to ensure the provision of safe drinking water to their customers. In summary, the Act:

• Requires the approval of water system construction proposals by Public Health Engineers;
• Requires that water system operators operate their systems in compliance with the requirements of the Act through operating permits which may contain specific conditions and are set and approved by the Health Authority Drinking Water Officer;
• Requires minimum water treatment standards, monitoring/testing and specifies water quality standards;
• Requires water suppliers to have microbiological samples analyzed by a laboratory which has been approved by the Provincial Health Officer;
• Requires public notification of water quality problems:
• Requires that operators of water systems which serve more than 500 individuals become certified as operators through the Environmental Operators Certification Program.