Federal-Provincial-Territorial Committee On Drinking Water Thirty-Fifth Meeting October 27-29, 2004 Ottawa, Ontario

6.0 Secretariat Reports

6.01 Research-Science-Treatment-Policy

Research - A status report was given on Health Canada's laboratory's activities and future projects. Members discussed the analytical method for NDMA and the validation required to develop a standard method. Members noted interest in developing partnerships.

Science - A presentation was given on a number of science-related activities and issues that the Water Quality and Health Bureau is involved with, including: boil water advisories; NDMA; perchlorate; the MOU for information sharing with PMRA; qualitative risk assessments; drinking water consumption rates; science committees; and studies including the groundwater quality survey in Quebec and the agricultural study looking at microbial-source tracking.

Treatment - An update was given on new and revised NSF standards for treatment unit devices. With the plumbing code, hot water tanks are an on-going issue in terms of trying to find the best way to reduce water temperatures. Staff have attended a number of conferences and workshops related to ozone, arsenic and small systems.

Policy - An update was given on the Policy Division's activities, including work on the guidelines, the website, and water policy issues within federal government.

An update was also given on the Federal Water Audit. A decision will be made in December on what the audit will include and the audit should be completed by April 2005. Information related to the Committee will be part of the audit.

Members discussed the issue of Health Canada developing a source water quality index for drinking water. Its purpose would be to measure improvements that could be made to protecting drinking water sources, i.e., watersheds and aquifers.

Decision/Action:

• D.Rocan to contact provincial lab in Manitoba to see if there is interest in helping the Health Canada lab with validation of methods. He will pass on contact information to F.Benoit
• Members to forward names to W.Robertson of those interested in attending a workshop on microbial source tracking
• Secretariat to provide links to the EPA's information on arsenic and small systems
• Members generally support Health Canada's interest in developing a Source Water Quality Index. Secretariat will follow-up with individual members for more information.

6.02 National Drinking Water Conference

An update was given on survey responses from the last conference. Members discussed timing options for the conference and who would sit on the technical organizing committee.

Decision/Action:

• Members agreed the next Conference should be in St. John, New Brunswick, with opening reception on Saturday, with conference running April 2-4, 2006.

6.03 CDW Priority List

The Secretary walked members through the handouts on the priority-setting process. Members discussed removing old guidelines for industrial chemicals and pesticides. It was noted that an ideal priority list would include an estimated 35 parameters to be assessed over 5 years. Members reviewed the potential list of parameters to be assessed and tentatively agreed on the following priorities: Selenium, Atrazine, Barium, 1,2-dichloroethane, Azinphos-methyl, Carbaryl, Phorate, Pentachlorophenol, Carbofuran, Manganese, Nitrate/nitrite, pH, fluoride, 2,4-D, ammonia, and nickel.

Decision/Action:

• Secretariat will update the priority list for CDW review and will develop a second list of current guidelines that should be reviewed in order to determine whether they can be removed. The lists will be provided to members by December 1, 2004.
• Members to provide comments on the above by January 1, 2005.