Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality

Each guideline was established based on published scientific research related to health effects, aesthetic effects, and operational considerations at the time of publication. Guidelines (maximum acceptable concentrations or treatment goals) are based on comprehensive review of the known health effects associated with each contaminant, on exposure levels and on the availability of treatment and analytical technologies. Aesthetic effects (e.g., taste, odour) are taken into account when these play a role in determining whether consumers will consider the water drinkable. Operational considerations are factored in when the presence of a substance may interfere with or impair a treatment process or technology (e.g., turbidity interfering with chlorination or UV disinfection) or adversely affect drinking water infrastructure (e.g., corrosion of pipes)’ (Health Canada).