Federal-provincial-territorial Committee on Drinking Water - 30th Meeting, Halifax, Nova Scotia, April 25-26, 2002

The thirtieth meeting of the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Subcommittee on Drinking Water (Subcommittee) was held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on April 25 and 26, 2002. The status of new guidelines being developed and the revision of existing guidelines was discussed for the following substances:

Arsenic

The Secretariat will be developing a revised guideline document based on the results of recent assessments from the United States and availability of new treatment technologies. This revised document may be ready for discussion at the spring 2003 Subcommittee meeting.

Cyanobacterial Toxins (Microcystin-LR)

The guideline document has been updated with the most recent scientific information. Members approved the proposed guideline value for the cyanobacterial toxin microcystin-LR in drinking water of 0.0015 mg/L. At the end of May, this decision will be forwarded for approval to the Subcommittee's parent group, the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Committee on Environmental and Occupational Health. Health Canada will be sending out a letter to Chief Medical Officers of Health and Chief Epidemiologists in each province and territory, as well as to other stakeholders, highlighting possible concerns regarding cyanobacterial toxins getting into water used by dialysis patients. This letter will be posted on Health Canada's water quality website ( www.hc-sc.gc.ca/waterquality ).

Haloacetic Acids

(HAAs) - The updated supporting document for HAAs (based on the five HAAs) should be available for peer review during the summer of 2002.

Microbiological - Bacteriological

The updated guideline document is to be posted on the water quality website in the next few weeks.

Microbiological - Boil water advisory

The guideline document is to be posted on the water quality website in the next few weeks.

Microbiological - Protozoa

The Secretariat is revising the existing protozoa guideline document. It should be ready for internal review by the fall of 2002.

Microbiological - Viruses

The viruses guideline document has been peer reviewed. Subcommittee members gave their comments, including the fact that it needs to be made consistent with the turbidity guideline document. Members were given an additional one month review period in which to get their comments to the Secretariat. After that time, members will vote on whether to forward the document for public consultation.

pH

Members approved a motion for the Secretariat to proceed with the development of a guideline document on "Corrosion Control" and then update the pH and hardness guideline documents to ensure they all give consistent advice on controlling lead and copper in water distribution systems.

Trichloroethylene

The revised supporting document for trichloroethylene should be available for peer review during the winter of 2002/2003.

Trihalomethanes (CDBPs Project)

Work on the Chlorinated Disinfection By-Products (CDBPs) project is on-going. A workshop of selected world health experts on chlorinated disinfection by-products will be held during the summer of 2002.

Turbidity

The public consultation process for the revised turbidity guideline has begun and will continue until October 18, 2002. The consultation document and details are posted on Health Canada's water quality website.

Priority List

The Secretariat noted that the they will be conducting a review of all of the guidelines in the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality and discussed a system for setting priorities for work on both existing and proposed guidelines.

Other Reports Given and Items Discussed Include:

Pharmaceuticals - Members discussed recent surveys which suggest pharmaceuticals may be entering drinking water supplies. The member from Health Canada updated members about the Department's activities in this area. She discussed the possibility of Federal, Provincial and Territorial governments cooperating in developing a survey to determine whether Canadians are being exposed to pharmaceuticals from drinking water.

Guidance Documents - The guidance documents on provision of safe, reliable drinking water being prepared by two Working Groups made up of Subcommittee members (Health Canada) and the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment -Water Quality Task Group (Environment Canada). The final joint document "From Source to Tap: The Multi-barrier Approach to Safe Drinking Water" is in the final approval stages and will be posted on the Health Canada's water quality website ( www.hc-sc.gc.ca/waterquality ) and CCME website ( www.ccme.ca ) by the end of May.

Drinking Water Materials - The Certification Body Annual Report on drinking water materials (e.g., additives, components & treatment devices) identified issues concerning lack of understanding about the standards and a lack of regulations. Presentations were given by representatives from three Certification Bodies (i.e., UL International, NSF International and CSA International).

Provincial Regulations - New provincial regulations and policies related to drinking water quality.

Endemic Illness - A series of studies which look as the relationship between water quality and endemic gastro-intestinal illness.

UV Disinfection - The latest information on Ultra-Violet Light disinfection technology for treating drinking water supplies.

Reports from the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Committee on Environmental and Occupational Health, the Canadian Regulatory Council on Plumbing, and the Canadian Council of Ministers of Environment.