Frequently Asked Questions about Water and its Usage
What is the Walkerton Inquiry?
Do government rules about water treatment apply to me?
How does water get contaminated?
What if there is a problem with my community's water?
In May 2000, drinking water contaminated with e.coli and campylobacter bacteria killed seven people and made over 2300 ill in Walkerton, Ontario. After the tragedy, the Ontario government established a public Inquiry led by the Honourable Dennis O'Connor.
Commissioner O'Connor's findings were released in two volumes. The Report of the Walkerton Inquiry, Part One: The Events of May 2000 and Related Issues reported on the events in Walkerton and the causes of the tragedy. It was released in January 2002 and contained 28 recommendations. Part Two: A Strategy for Safe Drinking Water was released in May 2002 and contained 93 recommendations.
The following passage is from Part Two of the Report, page 5:
"While it is not possible to utterly remove all risk from a water system, the recommendations'
overall goal is to ensure that Ontario's drinking water systems deliver water with a level of risk
so negligible that a reasonable and informed person would feel safe drinking the water."
In its efforts to address all of the recommendations of the O'Connor
Inquiry, the Ontario government has introduced numerous new pieces
legislation and regulations. These include the Safe Drinking
Water Act, the Sustainable Water and Sewage Systems Act,
the Nutrient Management Act and the Drinking Water
Systems Regulation.
Most Ontarians receive their water from a municipal water system that is required to meet strict monitoring, testing and reporting requirements. But many homes and businesses get their water from other sources, including non-municipal systems and private wells.
If you have a private well that only supplies drinking water to your household, you do not have to meet
any drinking water regulations, although you are required to ensure that water is potable. It is
strongly advised that everyone test their source of drinking water on a regular basis to ensure it is
safe and
clean.
If you own a water system (including a well) that supplies water
to multiple residences, a common space or a local business, you
may be required to meet certain requirements under the Drinking
Water Systems Regulation. It is important to find out if your
system is captured under this regulation.
Groundwater and surface water can be contaminated in many different ways, with different impacts on the environment and human health. Contaminants can seep into groundwater, wash into surface water, or get deposited by rain or wind. Here is a short summary of different kinds of water contaminants:
Living organisms (pathogens): Water may contain living organisms that can harm the local environment or human health. Many organisms in water are natural and common. For instance, anyone who has been camping in Ontario has probably had to boil or treat their water against giardia and other living organisms. Bacteria and viruses are found in sewage sludge, septic tanks and manure. Agricultural operations may sometimes transmit living organisms into surface or groundwater through runoff.
Domestic contaminants: Things we do on our own properties can have an impact on our local water quality. Soaps, solvents and pesticides from our yards and driveways can end up in storm sewers and flow into lakes or rivers untreated. People with wells on their property should also be careful not to spread excessive fertilizer or store hazardous chemicals close to the wellhead.
Oils, paints and other chemicals spilled on the ground can eventually seep or leach into groundwater. They can be harmful in drinking water at only a few parts per billion and can persist in the environment for years.
Nitrates from fertilizers and organic waste are highly soluble, stable and capable of migrating considerable distances if they flow into surface water or are leached into groundwater.
Industrial contaminants: Groundwater and surface water can be contaminated by chemicals emitted by industry. This can include "historical" pollution (a gradual build-up of pollutants over many years) or an immediate threat, such as a spill or accidental discharge. Air pollution from industry can eventually end up contaminating water when it is deposited by rain or wind
An 'adverse water quality incident' (AWQI) happens any time a water system or water testing lab detects an 'exceedance' of a contaminant in a water sample. An AWQI does not necessarily mean that the water is contaminated: sometimes an AWQI is the result of a sampling error. Additional tests are ordered to confirm initial results.
When a potential problem is detected in a drinking water supply, the local Medical Officer of Health is informed. The Medical Officer makes the decision on whether the water is safe, and can order a number of different actions if he or she feels there is a threat to human health. A Medical officer can order a "boil water advisory" or a "drinking water advisory" to protect local populations until the water incident has been resolved.
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