Federal-Provincial-Territorial Committee on Drinking Water Thirty-Seventh Meeting October 26 - 28, 2005 Ottawa, Ontario

6.0 Secretariat Reports

6.01 Science-Materials-Policy

The Federal Drinking Water Protection Program, First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, SEP Research Division, Science Division, Materials & Treatment Division and Policy Division each provided a report on its program and activities, outreach programs, publications and current key issues. A report was not available for the Food Regulatory Program.

Decision/Action:

• Secretariat to send members the link to the Federal guidance document for managing water supplies in areas of federal jurisdiction
  
  
• Secretariat to keep members informed of any updates on the proposed legislation

6.02 Bureau Projects for CDW

Publishing peer review comments - Members discussed the possibility of making peer reviewers' comments available on request. Reviewers would need to grant permission. Not all comments from published guidelines are available so they could only be provided on a case by case basis.

Population Health Based Framework - The Secretariat is working to adopt the recommendations made in the consultant's report. Members discussed issues with risk communications.

Guideline Development Template/protocol - A protocol for Health Canada evaluators will be developed to help them determine how best to work in teams.

Bacteriological Sampling for Small Systems - Members have been identified for a small group to work on this issue.

Assessment of Guideline Assumptions - A contract has been awarded to conduct this work. The first draft should be ready in early 2006.

Review of Existing Guidelines - A contractor will be brought in to look at the old existing guidelines to see if they need to be re-assessed, re-affirmed, or archived. The contract should run from December 2005 to June 2006.

CDW Orientation Manual - A draft is scheduled tobe ready in spring.

HC Website/CDW Extranet Site - The Health Canada website has gone through a massive change to its architecture. Content changes will be made on an on-going basis. All members should now have access to the new CDW extranet site.

Small and Individual Systems Information - A presentation was given on the need to develop a homeowners manual. Members discussed whether to produce a guide that relies heavily on existing materials and would be general as opposed to site-specific, or whether to create a toolbox to help people access existing materials. Members agreed to pursue the toolbox and asked that it be both paper and web based. A working group was formed.

Guidance on Hierarchy for Numerical Guideline Values - A presentation was given on the development of a hierarchy for numerical guideline values. A working group was formed to develop a realistic draft by the end of February.

Federal Waterborne Contamination and Illness Response Protocol (2005-05) - An update was given on the development of this protocol. The final draft should be ready by the end of the fiscal year (March 2006). The Secretariat is still looking for contact information from each jurisdiction and will follow up with members.

Risk Management of Drinking Water Systems - Members should have received an executive summary of a guidance document on the multi-barrier and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) approaches (titled Canadian Guidance Document for Managing Drinking Water). CWWA is ready to publish the guide though it may be expanded to focus on small systems. There may be funding to develop an implementation document and training materials to carry the project forward. The document will be posted on the CDW extranet site when it is available.

Source Water Indicators (2004-10) - A presentation was gievn on the source water quality indicator project. Health Canada has been named the lead agency. The indicator will apply specifically to bodies of water used as sources of potable water. A working group has been formed to develop the indicator. Members discussed existing indices.

Security and Prosperity Partnership Initiative - The governments of Canada, the US and Mexico have agreed to share information and best practices on water quality, including a joint web portal, by March 2006. Health Canada is bound to deliver this and has been in touch with the US EPA and the Mexican equivalent. Health Canada is not interested in harmonizing guidelines and standards, but would like to take advantage of the expertise in the other countries and to establish a more formal mechanism with annual trilateral meetings. Members gave their approval for the Secretariat to set up connections with the US and Mexico.

Recreational Water Quality Guidelines (2005-05) and Water Re-Use Guidelines/Standards (2003-10) - An update was given on the recreational water guidelines, guidelines for water reuse in the home, draft CSA standards B128.1/B128.2, and Plumbing Code issues.

Decision/Action

• Peer Review: CDW agreed that Peer Reviewers' comments should be made available to the public (all parameters), therefore, future reviewers must be made aware of this requirement
  
  
• Small Systems Information: Members agreed to pursue option B for the toolkit for unregulated small and individual systems, and that it should be both paper and web based. A working group will be made up of representatives from BC, Manitoba, Newfoundland, Health Canada's First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, and the Secretariat
  
  
• Hierarchy Guidelines: A working group was formed with representatives from Alberta, Northwest Territories, Ontario, Quebec and the Secretariat to look at the hierarchy of guideline values
  
  
• Waterborne Threats: Secretariat to follow-up with members to get contact information for the Waterborne Illness Protocol
  
  
• Risk Management of Systems: Document to be posted on CDW extranet site and members to provide comments on the CWWA document by end of December 2005
  
  
• SPP Initiative: Members agreed that Health Canada continue to work and set up connections with the US and Mexico to develop a joint web portal for water resources