Regulatory Information - Operation & Monitoring

Section 20 of The Drinking Water Safety Act refers to the requirements for disinfection and record-keeping for public and semi-public drinking water systems. Section 21 of The Drinking Water Safety Act refers to the requirement for routine water quality sampling and analysis. Section 25 of The Drinking Water Safety Act mandates that written operational records be made and retained. Specific requirements for sampling, monitoring, record-keeping and reporting are addressed in the Drinking Water Safety Regulation and the Drinking Water Quality Standards Regulation.

The Office of Drinking Water has developed guidelines to assist operators in meeting regulatory obligations for monitoring and reporting under The Drinking Water Safety Act. Monitoring and Reporting forms are available on the Forms page.

Operational Guidelines for Monitoring and Reporting - Public and Semi-Public Water Systems. (PDF / 47 pages / 1.7 MB)

For seasonal water systems, the Office of Drinking Water has developed the following guideline to assist operators in start-up and shut-down procedures:

Seasonal water system start-up shut-down protocol 2009. (PDF / 6 pages / 110 KB)

Public Water System Annual Report

Section 32(1) MR 40/2007 stipulates that public water systems serving 1,000 or more persons must prepare an Annual Report on the operation of their water system. The regulation states that the report must be submitted to the Office of Drinking Water by March 31 of each year about the operation of the water system for the preceding calendar year. A copy of the report must be made available to the public. The Office of Drinking Water has prepared a guideline and examples to aid in the completion of the report.

Guideline for Preparing Public Water System Annual Reports. (PDF / 15 pages / 188KB)

Please contact your regional Drinking Water Officer if you have any questions regarding water system monitoring.

Semi-public water system owners and operators should discuss water system monitoring with their regional Drinking Water Officer.

The Office of Drinking Water has developed a guidance manual for owners and operators of small drinking water systems that summarizes best practices for operation and monitoring including sample activity log sheets and resource links.

Best Practices Manual for Small Drinking Water Systems (PDF / 51 pages / 1.5 MB)

Operating License:

Section 8 of The Drinking Water Safety Act sets out a requirement for owners of public and semi-public water systems to have a valid operating license for their water system. An operating license contains terms and conditions for water system operation such as monitoring and reporting. Specific requirements for such submissions are addressed in the Drinking Water Safety Regulation. Water system owners will be notified by the Office of Drinking Water of the deadline for applying for their first operating license issued under The Drinking Water Safety Act. Operating License application forms, and an Operating License Application Guideline are available on the Forms page.

Inspections:

Office of Drinking Water staff carry out periodic inspections of water systems to evaluate design, operational and monitoring issues, and provide advice on corrective measures. Sections 27 and 28 of The Drinking Water Safety Act refer to entry and inspection powers for provincial personnel.

The Drinking Water Quality Standards Regulation and the Drinking Water Safety Regulation include bacteriological, microbial, physical (turbidity) and chemical standards for public and semi-public water systems along with their associated monitoring requirements. Additional system-specific standards and monitoring requirements may also be stipulated in an operating license.

Emergency Planning for Water Utilities in Manitoba:

Regulation 77/2003 “Water and Wastewater Facility Operators Regulation” requires that all water utilities have a documented emergency response plan in place. This plan should be reviewed at least once every two years and all operators and maintenance personnel should have access to it at all times. The Office of Drinking Water has prepared the following template to assist water utilities in developing their own emergency response plans:

Emergency Planning for Water Utilities in Manitoba (PDF / 20 pages / 450 KB)

Operator Certification:

The Environmental Approvals Branch of Manitoba Conservation is responsible for the provincial water and wastewater facility operator certification program. The program involves education, examination and experience requirements.

Please visit their web site for further information:

• http://www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/envapprovals/

Water and Wastewater Facility Operators Regulation (77/2003):

• http://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/regs/pdf/e125-077.03.pdf