First Nations Water Symposium

Shaun MackieA/Regional Environmental Health Manager

Addressing Water Quality in First Nations

What is “Quality” Water?

Clean

Safe

Reliable

Drinking Water Testing

You cannot tell if water is safe by:

• Looking

• Smelling

• Tasting

The only way to reliably trust water is to test.

Ongoing Sampling/Testing to Meet Guidelines

Turbidity

Chlorine Residual

Microbiological

Drinking Water Guidelines

Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality

Ontario Regulation 170/03

“What is Done if the Drinking Water Results Fail to Meet the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality?”

If the water is not safe, an advisory is recommended

Drinking Water Advisories

Boil Water Advisory

Boil Water Order – MOH

Do Not Consume

Do Not Use

Communication of a Drinking Water Advisory

EHO makes immediate contact with community to recommend advisory.

EHO follows up with written report.

Boil Advisories in Ontario

Currently 31 First Nations have a boil advisory in place.

(As of March 5, 2010)

Current Ontario Advisory Breakdown

Inadequate Disinfection or Residuals 40.2%

Equipment Malfunction 27.2%

Unacceptable Microbiological Quality 12%

Unacceptable Turbidity 9.8%

Deterioration in Source Water Quality 7.6%

Operation Would Compromise Public Health 3.2%

Epidemiological Evidence of Disease Outbreak 0%

-------

100%

WaterTrax

• Online database for water quality data.

• Labs automatically upload results into WaterTrax.

• Communities can also enter Colilert testing results.

• Boil Advisory reports are generated weekly.

Advisory Effectiveness

100%

Thank you

Shaun Mackie

A/Regional Environmental Health Manager

Brantford, ON

519-751-6447

Shaun.Mackie@hc-sc.gc.ca