FRANCAIS

February 05, 2004

The drinking water supply for Manitobans will be better protected by regulations under the Drinking Water Safety Act, Water Stewardship Minister Steve Ashton said today.

"Manitobans are very fortunate to have the quality and quantity of drinking water that we do," said Ashton. "The province is taking significant steps to ensure high water quality standards and to protect Manitobans from the threat posed by water-borne diseases. This legislation will help to reinforce efforts already undertaken and will further help to protect water quality in our province."

Ashton noted that, since the establishment of the Drinking Water Advisory Committee in June of 2000, the province has undertaken a number of new initiatives to protect water quality including:

• establishment of the Office of Drinking Water,
• hiring of 12 new drinking water officers,
• stronger livestock regulations and monitoring,
• new regulations for construction of on-site waste systems,
• enhanced training programs for operators of water and waste water systems,
• a new Water Strategy,
• a new Lake Winnipeg Action Plan,
• establishment of the Lake Winnipeg Stewardship Board, and
• increased research into the sources of occasional high levels of E. coli on beaches.

The minister noted that the Drinking Water Safety Act is part of an overall plan by the government to improve many aspects of water quality in Manitoba.

Proclamation of the act provides the legislative authority to support initiatives already undertaken to protect water quality including establishing the Office of Drinking Water, designating drinking water officers and outlining their powers, identifying the powers of the medical officer of health, establishing an appeal process, providing a framework for reporting violations and establishing fines under the act. In addition, the act also provides the ability to regulate semi-public water systems, which were not regulated previously.

The regulations related to water quality standards will set out requirements for drinking water quality that must be met by public and semi-public water systems including bacteriological, chemical, physical and microbial standards.

The drinking water safety regulations will deal with construction and alteration permits, and operating licences for public and semi-public water systems. They cover areas such as:

• disinfection requirements,
• testing and record-keeping,
• sampling and analysis requirements for drinking water quality standards,
• reporting of laboratory analyses and emergency notification,
• annual reports and public information requirements for water suppliers, and
• infrastructure assessments and requirements for non-potable systems.

The minister noted that public health officials were consulted in the development of the regulations. Chemical and physical water quality standards will be phased in for public water systems. The regulations will be finalized in the spring.

"The formal proclamation of this act represents a significant step in giving Manitobans confidence that water supply standards must be met by public and semi-public water systems," said Ashton. "The act and its regulations are part of a continuing commitment by this government to improve all aspects of water quality in the province."

The Drinking Water Safety Act was proclaimed Jan. 30.

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Highlights of actions taken as part of Manitoba’s Water Strategy include:

• Drinking water resources, infrastructure and legislation: To protect the quality of drinking water, 12 new drinking water officers have been hired and a new office of drinking water has been established. Forty million dollars has been invested in drinking water and sewer infrastructure and new drinking water legislation has been passed to address issues from source to tap.
• Stronger livestock regulations and monitoring: New regulations will include requirements for all above ground storage tanks, annual water sampling and the regulation of between 600 and 800 additional operations. Nutrient application will be restricted in vulnerable areas.
• Actions to protect Lake Winnipeg: To begin the task of reducing nutrient levels in Lake Winnipeg, new sewage and septic field regulations have been passed to restrict sewage and septic installations based on soil type, slope and proximity to water.
• In addition, a Riparian Tax Credit encourages riverbank protection and soil testing awareness programs have been introduced. High level cross-border meetings have been held with North Dakota and Minnesota officials.
• Nutrient management is also being built into environmental licensing for municipal sewage treatment facilities consistent with the recommendations from the Clean Environment Commission. A Lake Winnipeg Stewardship Board has been established and will act to protect the lake.
• Expanding conservation districts: These districts reflect local conservation approaches to watershed management and have been expanded from nine to 16 across the province.
• Building scientific knowledge: Includes completing the Assiniboine River Study on the health of the river, a nutrient management study on the health of the Red and Assiniboine rivers and the south basin of Lake Winnipeg, and research into the sources of occasional high levels of E. coli at some Lake Winnipeg beaches. In addition, Manitoba water quality standards, objectives and guidelines have been updated to become among the most comprehensive frameworks in the nation for water protection.