Safe Drinking Water Act, S.O. 2002, CHAPTER 32
Publisher/Sponsor:
Ontario Ministry of the Environment
Regulations under the Act:
O. Reg. 128/04 Certification of Drinking Water System Operators and Water Quality Analysts.
O. Reg. 242/05 Compliance and Enforcement
O. Reg. 172/03 Definitions of Deficiency and Municipal Drinking Water System
O. Reg. 171/03 Definitions of Words and Expressions Used in the Act
O. Reg. 170/03 Drinking Water Systems
O. Reg. 248/03 Drinking Water Testing Services
O. Reg. 453/07 Financial Plans
O. Reg. 188/07 Licensing of Municipal Drinking Water Systems
O. Reg. 169/03 Ontario Drinking Water Quality Standards
O. Reg. 243/07 Schools, Private Schools and Day Nurseries
O. Reg. 229/07 Service of Documents
In response to recommendations arising from the Walkerton Inquiry, the Safe Drinking Water Act was established to gather in one place all legislation and regulations relating to the treatment, testing and distribution of drinking water in the Province. The Act serves to both recognize that the people of Ontario are entitled to expect their drinking water to be safe and also to provide
for the protection of human health and the prevention of drinking water
health hazards through the control and regulation of drinking water
systems and testing.
The Act includes the following components:
- Mandatory use of provincially licensed and provincially accredited laboratories for drinking water testing.
- Through regulation, it creates legally-binding standards for drinking water treatment, distribution, quality and testing.
- Mandatory certification of all operators of drinking-water systems.
- Mandatory licensing of all municipal owners of drinking water systems.
- Establishment of an Advisory Council on Drinking Water Quality and Testing Standards to consider issues relating to standards for drinking water quality and testing and to make recommendations to the Minister.
- The appointment
of a Chief Inspector to provide advice to the Minister, to implement,
monitor and review operational policies for inspections of drinking
water systems, and to oversee training of provincial Ministry of the
Environment inspectors.
- The establishment a “standard of care” for municipalities, requiring that no person shall cause or permit any thing to enter a drinking water system if it could result in,
- a drinking water health hazard;
- a contravention of a prescribed standard; or
- interference with the normal operation of the system.
- Stronger, broader enforcement powers to Ministry inspection officers, including the ability to conduct inspections without warrant or court order.
- Mandatory reporting of adverse test results to the local Medical Officer of Health and to the Ministry of the Environment where contaminants in drinking water do not meet the drinking water quality standards.
- Through its regulations, a number of provisions governing such areas as the frequency of inspections, the actions required and response time in the event of a deficiency,
and standards and regulations specific to the operation of facilities
such as day nurseries, public and private schools, recreational or
athletic facilities, food service establishments, campgrounds, and health care facilities.
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