Advisory Council on Drinking Water Quality and Testing Standards: Report and Advice on Ontario Regulation 170/03 Smaller, Private Systems Review and Recommendations

2005·2.6 MB·English

by  Ontario Ministry of the Environment

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Advisory Councilon Drinking Water Quality and Testing Standards
Report and Advice on
Ontario Regulation 170/03
Smaller, Private Systems
Review and Recommendations
Preparedfor the Honourable Leona Dombrowsky
Minister ofthe Environment
February 8, 2005

Advisory Councilon Drinking WaterQualityandTestingStandards
Table ofContents
ExecutiveSummary 3
IntroductionandIssues 6
Context 7
Riskin RelationtoSmall Systems 7
Special Challenges Faced bySmall Systems 10
Approach 13
InformationSupportingOurRecommendations 14
SummaryofRelevantConclusionsfromtheVValkerton Inquiry(Part 1) 14
Review ofWalkerton Inquiry Part2 Reportand Recommendations 14
ExamplesofDiseaseOutbreaksin SmallSystems 16
PublicConsultation Summary 16
ReviewofOtherJurisdictions 18
SummaryofKey Points 20
CouncilConclusions 24
A SpecialCase:Non-Municipal Year-RoundResidentialSystems 25
ProposalforManagingSmaller, Private WaterSystems 27
1. RiskAssessmentand Inspection bythe Local Public Health Unit 27
2.TestingandTreatment: SelfAdministered RiskAssessment 27
3. RulesSpecificforEach Sector 27
KeyIssuesAddressedbytheRecommendedModel 32
SummaryofRecommendations 36
Appendix 1: SummaryofConclusions(PartOneWalkerton Inquiry) 39
Appendix2: SummaryofSelectedCaseStudies(Microbial DiseaseOutbreaks) 41
Appendix3: SummaryofKeyConcernsand Recommendationsfrom PublicConsultations 43
Appendix4: Relevant Information ontheNew Zealand Risk-BasedApproach 47
Appendix5: Relevant Information on theOxford County Risk-BasedApproach 51
Appendix6: SummaryofSpecific Issuesand Council Responsesfrom Review 53
References 60
February 8, 2005 Page 2 of60

Advisor}'CouncilonDrinking WaterQualityandTestingStandards
Executive Summary
InMay2004.TheHonourable LeonaDombrowsky, Ministerofthe Environment,establishedthe
AdvisoryCouncil onDrinkingWaterQualityandTestingStandards(Council)andaskedfor
recommendationsregardingtheprovince'sdrinkingwaterstandardsandrelatedmeasuresthatmay
beneededtoimprovethe safetyandqualityofOntario'sdrinkingwatersupply.
OnJune30,2004, MinisterDombrowskyspecificallyaskedtheCounciltoprovideadviceonthe
DrinkingWaterSystems Regulation(O. Reg.170/03)("Regulation"forthepurposesofthisreport)
withrespecttotheappropriatenessofrequirements forsmallwatersystems,andparticularlyprivate
ones, keepinginmindtheprovince'scommitmentto implementall ofCommissionerO'Connor's
recommendations. TheSafeDrinking WaterAct.the Regulation,andotherregulationswere
developedtoaddressthoserecommendations.
TheCouncil,withtheassistanceofaninternal workinggroup,undertookan initial reviewand
concludedthatthe Regulation,asitappliestosmallerandprivatesystems, isconsideredtobecostly
andcomplex. AlthoughtheMinistryofthe Environment(MOE)istargetinginformationto specific
groups,theRegulationisnotwellunderstoodbytheregulatedcommunity.
Therefore, theCouncilneededtogainabroaderunderstandingoftherangeofissuesarisingfromthe
Regulationas itrelatesto smaller,privatesystems, and itspotential implicationsforaffectedand
interestedparties,beforeprovidingrecommendationstotheMinister. TheCouncilalso feltitneeded
more informationonthehealthrisksposedby small systems.
In itsreview, theCouncil examined the Regulation fromavarietyofperspectives, including:
• AreviewoftheWalkerton Reports anddiscussionswith peoplewhoparticipatedinthe
developmentofthe PartTworeport. Particularattention was giventoChapter 14, Small
DrinkingWaterSystems andthe Recommendations inthis Chapter.
• An extensiveConsultationProcesswhereCouncil membersheardfromover 120
presenters in 12 locations. Inaddition, the Council receivedover 100written
submissions. The Council heardawiderangeofconcernswiththe Regulationanda
numberofsuggestions forimprovement.
• TheCouncil collectedinformationonhow otherjurisdictions andcountrieswere
endeavoringto enhance andregulatethe safetyofdrinkingwaterprovidedbysmall
communal systems andsystems thatprovidewatertothepublic.
• TheCouncil alsoheardfrom experts inthe drinkingwaterfieldinadditiontothe expert
knowledgeofthe Council's ownmembers. Anumberofactual cases ofdrinkingwater
contaminationwere analyzed.
Afterthis careful review ofthe current Regulation as itappliesto smaller,private systems, the
Council has concludedtheproblemswith the Regulationcannotberemediedthrough specific
changestothecurrent Regulation.
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AdvisoryCouncilonDrinking WaterQualityandTestingStandards
TheCouncil foundthatthe Regulation seemedtobeeffective forlargersystems serving larger
communities andevenforlargerprivate operationsthathadthe scale andrevenuebase and size
ofbusinesstomanage the complexitiesofthe Regulation andinstall andoperatetreatment
systems. Very small services such asbedandbreakfast operations, churchandcommunity
centres, small lodges, camps andcabins, trailerparks, seasonal operationsandawiderange small
businessesdidnothavetheresources,knowledgeorskillstobeabletofolloworcomplywith
thetypeofregulatory structureas setoutinthe Regulation. TheCouncilbelievesthatthe
approach itisrecommendingwill ensurethatsmall systemsarerobustwithrespecttothe
provision ofsafedrinkingwater.
As suchtheCouncil findsthatan alternativeapproach isneededforthese smallersystems. The
basicdrinkingwaterqualitystandardsandlevelofsafetyshouldnotbereduced. However, they
canbe betterimplementedthrough anapproachthataddresses thecapacities andabilitiesofthe
small serviceownersandoperators
Through thedevelopmentofanewregulation,underthe Safe DrinkingWaterAct,the Public
Health Unitswouldbe empoweredtoallowthemto administersafe drinkingwaterprograms for
these smallersystems.
TheCouncil'srecommendedapproach consists ofthe followingkey elements:
• A risk-based,site-specific approach for5 ofthe 8 "Categories ofSystem" under
Regulation 170/03, which include: LargeMunicipalNon-Residential, Small
MunicipalNon-Residential, Non-MunicipalSeasonalResidential, LargeNon-
MunicipalNon-Residential, andSmallNon-MunicipalNon-Residential; aswellas
anyDesignatedFacilities within these5categories
• The remaining3 categories under Regulation 170/03, which include: Large
MunicipalResidential, SmallMunicipalResidential, andNon-Municipal Year-Round
Residential, areto continueto be regulated underthe current Regulation 170/03
• Risk-based, site-specific approach to be outcome-based, anchored by compliance
with the Ontario DrinkingWaterQuality Standards
• Transferofresponsibilityto Public Health Unitsto administerthesafedrinking
waterprograms forall commercial and institutional systems that servethe
public
• Extension ofthe provincialgrant program to assist local municipalitiesin
providing assistanceto Non-Municipal, Year-Round Residentialsystems
Additional recommendations are includedinthisreport, andcanbe foundinthe"Summary of
Recommendations" section.
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AdvisoryCouncilonDrinking WaterQuality-andTestingStandards
The Council believes that implementation ofitsrecommendationswill helpOntarioensurethat
itsdrinkingwatermeets thedual objective ofplacingthe highestpriority onhealth andsafety,
while ensuring that implementation is timely, effective andclearlyunderstoodbyall involved.
February8, 2005 Page5 of60
AdvisoiyCouncilonDrinking WaterQualityandTestingStandards
Introduction and Issues
OnJune30,2004,the Ministerofthe EnvironmentaskedtheAdvisory Council onDrinking
WaterQualityandTesting Standards(Council)toprovideadviceonthe Drinking-Water
SystemsRegulation (O. Reg.170/03)("Regulation"forthepurposes ofthis report)withrespect
totheappropriateness ofrequirements forsmallwatersystems, andparticularlyprivateones.
ThegovernmentofOntariohas committedtoimplementall ofCommissionerO'Connor's
recommendationsandtheSafeDrinking WaterAct,theRegulation, and otherregulationswere
developedtoaddressthoserecommendations.
However,the Regulation, asitappliestosmallerandprivate systems, is consideredtobe costly,
complexandnotwell understoodbytheregulatedcommunity. These factors, andtheresulting
inconsistentinterpretations,may leadtoeithernon-compliance orawithdrawal ofservicetothe
public. Ineithercase, the qualityofdrinkingwatertoconsumerscouldbecompromised.
The MinistryoftheEnvironment(MOE)hasmadeeffortstoexplaintheregulatoryrequirements
bytargetinginformationpapers tospecificgroups. However, greaterefforts areneededto
directlyreach theregulatedcommunity,which arenotrepresentedby formal associationsthat
generallyassistindistributingandsharinginformationandadvice. Aswell,regulated
individualsneedapointofcontact in ordertogetconsistentadviceandsupport.
Ithasbeendeterminedthatindevelopingthe Regulationtherehasonlybeenalimited
assessmentoftherisktopublic health, inregards to smallerandprivatewatersystems.
Ithasalsobeendeterminedthattherehasbeen littleresearch intohow otherjurisdictionshave
addressedriskforthesetypesofsystems.
The PartTwoWalkerton Inquiry reportmade severalrecommendations withrespecttosmall
systems. However, theserecommendationsneedtobereassessed,due to inconsistencies in
interpretation.
The issues identifiedabovehaveguidedtheCouncil in itsassessmentofthismatter. The
Council'sadvicepresentedinthisreportfocuseson identifyingsolutionsthataddresstheneed
forsafedrinkingwaterandtheprotectionofpublic health within themeansandcapability of
waterproviders. This advice includesbothbroaderpolicyrecommendationsonregulatory,
administrativeandeconomicapproaches, andspecificsuggestions foramendingaspectsofthe
current Regulation.
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