Regulations Increase Drinking Water Safety

Revised regulations for water and wastewater facilities are adding another element of safety to public drinking water supplies in Nova Scotia.

"This is part of our provincial drinking water strategy to ensure Nova Scotians have clean, safe drinking water," said Environment and Labour Minister Kerry Morash. "These changes give even more strength to our regulations, while also giving municipalities some flexibility to effectively run safe drinking water systems."

The amendments took effect on Sept. 30. They require all operators of drinking water and wastewater facilities to renew their certification every four years. The renewal is conditional upon operators participating in continuing education programs. This will help to ensure the province has skilled and knowledgeable people running public drinking water supplies and wastewater facilities.

The province's 82 municipal facilities were already required to have certified operators. The amendments also clarify other facilities that require certified operators.

Registered public drinking water systems serving 500 clients or more -- in places such as schools, nursing homes, workplaces and trailer parks -- must have certified operators. There are about 50 of these facilities in the province.

The rest of the province's 1,900 registered systems serve fewer than 500 people or do not serve the same people on a regular basis. They include rural restaurants, campgrounds, hotels, bed and breakfasts, and some schools and health-care facilities.

These systems do not require certified operators but water quality must be monitored regularly and problems addressed and reported immediately to the Department of Environment and Labour.

The department will work with the departments of Education and Health on a code of practice for schools and health-care facilities that are in this category.

"These regulations increase the requirements for municipalities and some registered public systems," said Mr. Morash. "They do not reduce requirements for anyone. They require everyone to share the responsibility for ensuring drinking water is safe."

The Department of Environment and Labour worked closely with facility owners and operators to ensure these regulations will help them run their systems efficiently to provide Nova Scotians with clean, safe drinking water.

Owners of private water supplies, such as homeowners with wells, who are not covered by these regulations are still responsible to test their own water.

Nova Scotia's drinking water strategy was launched in 2002. The action plan outlined in the strategy is now fully implemented. The strategy is available on the department's website at www.gov.ns.ca/enla/water .