Manitoba
Printer Friendly

Manitoba Water Stewardship

To view PDF files, you must have a copy of the Adobe Acrobat Reader which is available as a free download.

Get Acrobat Reader

Regulatory Information - Approval Requirements

Series of tumblers with rainbow backdropWater system project approval and water system assessment requirements are set out in The Drinking Water Safety Act and its supporting regulations. A permit is required for the construction or alteration of a public water system. Owners of public water systems also have to apply for a license to operate their water system. Additional information on operating licenses is available on the Operation & Monitoring page.

Requirements for semi-public water systems are being phased in. Owners and operators of existing or proposed semi-public water systems are encouraged to contact the Office of Drinking Water to discuss project approval and operational requirements for their water systems.

Permit for Construction/Alteration:

Section 7 of The Drinking Water Safety Act sets out a requirement to obtain a permit before beginning construction or alteration of a public or semi-public water system. The permit specifies terms and conditions for project implementation. More specific requirements for such submissions are addressed in the Drinking Water Safety Regulation. Permit application forms and submission guidelines are available on the Forms page.

Water System Assessments:

Section 9 of The Drinking Water Safety Act sets out a requirement for periodic, third-party assessments of public and semi-public water systems. The assessment considers the condition and adequacy of the water system's infrastructure (ex: water treatment equipment, reservoir, distribution system), and examines the quality and vulnerability of the water source. Guideline documents and submission forms have been developed for public water system assessments and semi-public water system assessments. Water system owners will be notified by the Office of Drinking Water of assessment deadlines for their water system.

The Recommendations on Selection of an Engineer for a Water System Assessment document contains information that may assist a water system owner in selecting a qualified engineer to undertake an assessment.

Wastewater Collection System Projects:

The Office of Drinking Water, on behalf of Manitoba Health, continues to administer the portions of The Public Health Act related to the approval of new or altered wastewater (sewer) collection systems including the construction, modification, upgrading or extension of gravity or low pressure sewer collection systems, forcemains and lift stations.

The following information should be provided for review prior to the construction or alteration of a wastewater collection system:

  • A set of stamped engineering drawings,
  • A set of construction specifications, and
  • A design brief which includes a project description, schedule and location map.

Additional information may be requested to complete the review. The focus of the review is on public health related concerns. If all public health concerns appear to have been addressed, a Certificate of Approval for construction and operation is issued for the proposed works.

Review Criteria

The Office of Drinking Water applies the Recommended Standards for Water Works (commonly known as The Ten State Standards) developed by the Great Lakes - Upper Mississippi River Board of State and Provincial Public Health and Environmental Managers for water system design, AWWA standards, and best practices. Backflow prevention should be done in accordance with the provincial plumbing code, and the WCS AWWA Cross Connection Control Manual or CSA B64.10-01 Manual for the Selection and Installation of Backflow Prevention Devices. We look for NSF certification for water chemicals and treatment units. With respect to water quality goals, the Office of Drinking Water adopts Health Canada's Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality.

The Ten State Standards are available from Health Education Services:

AWWA Standards are available through the AWWA web site:

The NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) certifies drinking water chemicals and treatment units:

A summary of the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality is available through Health Canada's web site:

The Office of Drinking Water has produced a guidance manual to assist water system owners, consultants and operators in the selection, design and operation of water disinfection systems including chlorine, UV light, ozone, chloramines, and chlorine dioxide. The manual provides guidance on the regulatory approval process and requirements for disinfection system projects.

Other Project Approval Considerations

In addition to Public Health Act or Drinking Water Safety Act approval, certain projects may require a license pursuant to The Environment Act and the Classes of Development Regulation (164/88). The types of project that may be involved include sewage lagoons, wastewater treatment plants, water impoundments, and water treatment plants which will be discharging wastewater to a surface water system.

http://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/regs/pdf/e125-164.88.pdf

The withdrawal of water from an aquifer through a groundwater well or from a surface water through an intake requires a Water Rights License pursuant to The Water Rights Act when water usage exceeds 25,000 L/day (5500 Imperial gallons/day).

Infrastructure and Operations Division, Water Licensing Section:

The Water Rights Act:

Environmental Approvals Branch
Environmental regulations in drinking systems.

The Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health Division has guidelines and bulletins which address safe workplace issues including chemical storage and eyewash station design:

Manitoba Transportation & Government Services must be contacted for provincial road or highway pipe crossings. It may also be necessary to contact railways, and other utilities.

Federal guidelines are available regarding the design of fish screens on surface water intake structures: