Transcript Drinking Water Source Protection

Application of Health
Regulations to
Groundwater
Barry Boettger
[email protected]
Provincial Drinking Water Officer
Office of the Provincial Health
Officer
Objectives
Health outcomes
Principles behind B.C.’s Action Plan for Safe
Drinking Water
Overview of the legislation
Groundwater under the influence of surface
water
Waterborne Disease Outbreaks
1980 - 1990
1980
Nakusp
1987
Black Mountain
1981
100 Mile House
1987
Kamloops
1982
Kimberley
1988
Near Lytton
1984
Chilliwack
1990
Kitimat
1985
Creston
1990
Creston
1986
Penticton
1990
Fernie
1986
Penticton
1990
West Trail/Rossland
Waterborne Disease Outbreaks
1990 - 2004
1990
Matsqui
1996
Cranbrook
1991
Barriere
1996
Kelowna
1991* Granisle
1996
Valemount
1991* Fort Fraser
1997
Princeton
1992
Kaslo
1998
Camp Malibu
1993
Ski hill near Fernie 1998
Chilliwack
1995
Victoria
Hagensborg
1995
Revelstoke
* Suspected Outbreaks
2004
Reported* Outstanding Boil-Water Advisories in British Columbia; '95 - '02
Health Authority
East Kootenay
Kootenay Boundary
North Okanagan
Okanagan Similkameen
Thompson
Fraser Valley
South Fraser
Simon Fraser
Coast Garibaldi
Central Vancouver Island
Upper Island
Cariboo
North West
Peace Liard
Northern Interior
Vancouver / Richmond
North Shore
Capital
Total
1995
June
18
83
7
6
19
19
4
6
10
29
12
4
2
0
6
0
7
12
1996
October
20
80
9
7
23
19
4
6
10
20
12
4
7
0
8
0
7
12
244
248
Reported Boil Advisories in effect as of:
1997
1998
1999
2000
October November Dec
Dec
18
10
10
26
83
47
54
56
5
5
10
14
7
8
11
13
23
34
38
39
18
22
16
24
1
1
1
2
8
9
9
7
10
15
17
18
18
20
15
17
9
9
9
8
2
2
2
2
6
6
6
8
0
0
0
0
7
7
8
9
0
0
0
0
6
4
4
n/a
11
7
n/a
4
232
206
210
* Health authorities report advisories in an ad hoc manner; data may not be complete
247
2001
Oct
2002
April
26
55
10
11
40
16
1
9
17
15
11
2
6
0
18
0
4
n/a
26
78
14
26
39
23
12
12
18
16
18
19
6
0
20
0
9
2
241
338
Action Plan for Safe Drinking
Water in British Columbia
 Focuses on:
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health outcomes through prevention and
treatment of contamination
outcome based approach
improved oversight and accountability
 Based on 8 principles
DWAP Principles
1. The safety of drinking water is a public
health issue (Health Services lead)
2. Source protection is a critical part of
drinking water protection
3. Providing safe drinking water requires an
integrated approach
DWAP Principles
4. All water systems need to be thoroughly
assessed to determine risks
5. Proper treatment and water distribution
system integrity are important to protect
human health
6. Tap water must meet acceptable safety
standards and be monitored
DWAP Principles
7. Small systems require a flexible system
with safeguards
8. Safe drinking water should be affordable,
with users paying appropriate costs
Drinking Water Legislation
 Health Act
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Safe Drinking Water Regulation (repealed)
Sanitary Regulation (1917)
 Drinking Water Protection Act (May 2003)
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Drinking Water Protection Regulation (May
2003)
Potential for Future Regulations
- Sanitary Regulation Wells to be cleaned
41 All wells which are in use, whether such wells
are public or private, shall be cleaned out on or
before the 15th days of March and October in
each year; and in case the local board certifies that
any well should be filled up, such well shall be
forthwith filled up by the owner of the premises.
-Sanitary Regulation –
Distance of wells from possible
source of contamination
42 Every well hereafter sunk or dug shall be located at least 100 feet
from any probable source of contamination, such as a privy vault,
cesspool, manure heap, stable or pigsty, and at least 20 feet from any
dwelling house, and at least 400 feet from any cemetery or dumping
ground; unless, owing to the physical conformation, contamination of
such well be impossible from such cemetery or dumping ground. Any
like source of contamination existing within the aforesaid distances from
any well now in use shall be removed where possible, or in default the
well shall be abandoned and filled up; but this rule shall not apply to
wells situated less than 20 feet from a dwelling house, unless other good
cause than proximity to such dwelling house can be shown why such
well shall be abandoned.
- Sanitary Regulation Contaminating wells or
public supply forbidden
43 No person shall bathe, wash, cleanse any wool, cloth, leather, skins or
animals, or put or cause to be placed any dead animal, or part of the
carcass of any dead animal, or any decayed or filthy animal or vegetable
matter, in or near any stream or the tributary of any stream, well, spring,
reservoir, pond or other source from which water or ice is drawn, taken
or used for domestic purposes; or shall cause, permit or suffer any
sewage, washing or other offensive matter from any sink, privy closet,
cesspool, factory, trade's establishment, slaughter house, washhouse,
tannery or other place over which he shall have control, to flow or
percolate thereinto, or into any drain or pipe communicating therewith;
or cause any other thing to be done whereby the water supply of any city,
town, village, community or household is in anywise tainted or fouled, or
rendered unfit for drinking or domestic purposes.
- Sanitary Regulation Penalty $100 or imprisonment or
both fine and imprisonment
71 Any person who violates any order, direction,
bylaw or regulation of a local board, made pursuant
to the Act or these regulations, shall be liable, on
summary conviction, under the Offence Act, for
every such offence to a fine not exceeding $100,
with or without costs, or to imprisonment, with or
without hard labour, for a term not exceeding 6
months, or to both fine and imprisonment, in the
discretion of the convicting Justice.
Legislation - 1992 - 2003
 Health Act; Safe Drinking Water Regulation
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Required construction approval
Required operating permits
Could place conditions on an operating permit
Required minimum treatment levels
Specified water quality standards
Required public notification of water quality
problems
Required an emergency response plan
Drinking Water Protection Act
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Passed in 2001
Amended in 2002
Brought into force May 2003
More refinement expected
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harmonizing with groundwater regulations
small water supply issues
clarification of language related to
certification
ticketing
Legislation – 2003  Drinking Water Protection Act; Drinking Water
Protection Regulation
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Requires construction approval
Requires operating permits
May place conditions on an operating permit
Required minimum treatment levels
Specifies water quality standards
Requires public notification of water quality problems
Requires an emergency response plan
May require a system assessment - Floodproofing
May require an assessment response plan (aquifer or well
protection planning)
Requires certified operators
Drinking Water Protection Act
Well floodproofing
14 For the purposes of section 16 of the Act, the owner or operator of a well that
provides drinking water and that is identified in an assessment as being at risk of
flooding must floodproof the well by constructing, equipping and maintaining the well
in a manner which precludes the entry of flood water into the well and protects the
well against damage from flood debris, ice, erosion and scour.
Groundwater Regulation
Floodproofing of wells
11
(1)
For the purposes of this section, flood debris and flood waters are a prescribed matter or substance under
section 79 (1) (f) of the Act.
(2)
The owner of a new well drilled on or after August 1, 2004 that supplies a water supply system must locate, complete, equip
and maintain the well
(a)
to prevent the entry from the surface of anything set out in section 79 (1) of the Act, either directly into the top opening of
the well or by entering the well through any annular space along the outside of the outermost well casing, and
(b)
to protect the well or wellhead from physical damage due to flood debris, ice or erosion.
(3)
An engineer may require the owner of any well that supplies a water supply system to assess the well for the purposes of
subsection (2) and the engineer may, after having considered the assessment, order the well owner to alter and maintain the well
(a)
to prevent the entry from the surface of anything set out in section 79 (1) of the Act, either directly into the top opening of
the well or by entering the well through any annular space along the outside of the outermost well casing, and
(b)
to protect the well or wellhead from physical damage due to flood debris, ice or erosion.
(4)
An engineer may order the owner of any well that supplies a water supply system to engage a qualified professional who has
competency in the field of hydrogeology to make the assessment required by subsection (3).
(5)
An engineer may require the owner of a well that is in proximity to a well that supplies a water supply system and that may
pose a threat of a contaminant entering the well that supplies the water supply system, or entering the aquifer supplying the water supply system, to engage a
qualified professional who has competency in the field of hydrogeology to assess the threat and the engineer may, after having considered the assessment,
order the owner of the well that is in proximity to, and that may pose a threat to the well that supplies the water supply system, to alter, maintain or close the
well
(a)
to prevent the entry from the surface of anything set out in section 79 (1) of the Act, either directly into the top opening of
the well or by entering the well through any annular space along the outside of the outermost well casing, and
(b)
to protect the well or wellhead from physical damage due to flood debris, ice or erosion.
(6)
Any work to alter or close a well under subsections (2), (3) or (5) must be done by
(a)
a qualified well driller,
(b)
a qualified well pump installer,
(c)
a qualified professional who has competency in the field of hydrogeology, or
(d)
a person under the direct supervision of a person referred to in paragraphs (a) to (c).
Drinking Water Protection
Regulation
Treatment
5 (1) In this section:
"ground water" means ground water as defined in section 1 of
the Water Act;
"surface water" means water from a source which is open to
the atmosphere and includes streams, lakes, rivers, creeks and
springs.
(2) For the purposes of section 6 (b) of the Act, drinking water
from a water supply system must be disinfected if the water
originates from
(a) surface water, or
(b) ground water that, in the opinion of a drinking water officer,
is at risk of containing pathogens.
Ground water that, in the opinion of a
drinking water officer, is at risk of
containing pathogens
Hydrological evaluation
Water quality analysis;

total coliforms;
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E. coli or faecal coliforms;
viruses;
chlorophyll a; or
protozoan cysts.
Lack of evidence to the contrary
Disinfection
Undefined in legislation
Policy:
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4 log (99.99%) removal or inactivation of viruses
3 log (99.9%) removal or inactivation of Giardia and
2 log (99%) removal of Cryptosporidium cysts[1]
≤ 1 NTU for turbidity
0 Fecal coliforms or E. coli
[1] In cases where an area or water system has a history of outbreaks
of disease or particularly poor source water quality, higher log
removal for these three parameters may be required.
Unless the applicant can satisfy
the issuing official that
a) there is no appreciable risk to public health in respect of these parameters,
having regarding to the circumstances of that water supply system[1], or
b) If some appreciable risk does exist for certain parameters, it is
acceptable from a public health perspective, having regard to the
circumstances of that water supply system, and the applicant has a
continuous improvement plan that will address treatment for these
parameters within a period of time that is considered reasonable in the
circumstances.
[1] Ground water systems that the issuing official believes are not at risk
of containing pathogens will generally fall under this category.
Links
Drinking Water Protection Act
http://www.qp.gov.bc.ca/statreg/stat/D/01009_01.htm
Drinking Water Protection Regulation
http://www.qp.gov.bc.ca/statreg/reg/D/200_2003.htm
Sanitary Regulations
http://www.qp.gov.bc.ca/statreg/reg/H/Health/142_59.htm