Guidance for providing safe drinking water in areas of federal jurisdiction
This document relates to the management of drinking water supplies on federal lands and in federal government facilities. These supplies include those serving:
- Federal government employees working in Canada, as well as Canadian Coast Guard, Canadian Forces personnel, and federal government Canadian diplomatic mission staff working abroad;
- Inmates, staff, and visitors to federal correctional facilities; and
- Visitors to federal lands and facilities;
- Individuals living in government quarters; and
- Neighbouring communities supplied by a federal department (e.g. a town near a military base)
The guidance in this document applies to facilities owned by or leased to the federal government. It outlines considerations regarding the design, operation and maintenance of treatment and distribution systems. It also describes the requirements for conducting assessments and for setting up, running, and evaluating monitoring programs. Departments may have, or wish to develop, more detailed protocols for their staff which address their department’s unique circumstances or requirements. The guidance in this document is meant to provide a framework and to complement any existing departmental guidance.
Given that the majority of federal facilities producing their own drinking water provide drinking water to 500 or fewer people, the guidance contained in this document relates primarily to very small drinking water systems and micro-systems. While this document recognizes the importance of managing drinking water from source to tap, source water issues are only briefly discussed. The focus is on drinking water quality from intake to tap. Wastewater issues are considered to be beyond the scope of this document.
Guidance for providing safe drinking water in areas of federal jurisdiction
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Federal Drinking Water Systems
Free Small Systems Training from the Government of Canada
Read MoreFederal Drinking Water Systems
‘Most drinking water supplies in Canada are under provincial or territorial jurisdiction and have regulations, policies and/or standard operating procedures to follow. Federal departments are responsible for the safety of drinking water provided to consumers in areas of federal jurisdiction. Federal legislation establishes the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality (GCDWQ) as the prescribed standards but does not provide guidance on their implementation.
The Interdepartmental Working Group on Drinking Water (IWGDW) was created in 2002 to develop health-based guidance for federal drinking water providers. It comprises federal representatives from departments that have responsibilities for producing and/or providing safe and reliable drinking water in areas of federal jurisdiction. Health Canada provides the technical secretariat for the working group and leads the development of this document’ (Health Canada).
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Acts
Guides
- Guidance for providing safe drinking water in areas of federal jurisdiction
- Canadian Drinking Water Guidelines
- Guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality – Third Edition
- Issuing and Rescinding Boil Water Advisories in Canadian Drinking Water Supplies
- Issuing and Rescinding Drinking Water Avoidance Advisories in Emergency Situations
- Controlling Corrosion in Drinking Water Distribution Systems
- Domestic Reclaimed Water for use in Toilet and Urinal Flushing
- Potassium from Water Softeners
Training
Links
- Health Canada – Environmental and Workplace Health department
- Environment Canada: Wastewater
- Questions and Answers on Drinking Water Treatment Devices
- Drinking Water Chlorination
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Free Small Systems Training from the Government of Canada
Guidance for Providing Safe Drinking Water in Areas of Federal Jurisdiction
First Nations Water System Resources
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Health Canada Documents for Public Review & Comment
When Health Canada has intent to update guidelines related to drinking water, a technical guideline document is developed to propose these changes. The document is first reviewed by external experts before seeking comments from the public during a limited consultation period.
Below you can access open and closed consultations. Information to submit comments is located within each link on Health Canada’s website.
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Open Consultations
Recently Closed Consultations
- Consultation: Guidelines for recreational water quality: Physical, aesthetic and chemical characteristics
- Consultation: Guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality: Indicators of Fecal Contamination
- Consultation: Proposed guidelines for Canadian drinking water quality for dimethoate and omethoate
- 4-Chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic Acid (MCPA) in Drinking Water: Guideline Technical Document for Public Consultation
Past Consultations
- Consultation: Proposed guideline for Bromoxynil in drinking water
- Consultation: Cyanobacteria and their Toxins in Recreational Water – Guideline Technical Document
- Proposed guideline technical document for dicamba in drinking water
- Boron in Drinking Water: Guideline Technical Document for Public Consultation
- Guidance on Monitoring the Biological Stability of Drinking Water in Distribution Systems
- Proposed guideline for Canadian drinking water quality for metribuzin
- Withdrawal of Select Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality
- Consultation – Cadmium in Drinking Water
- Consultation – Guidance on Natural Organic Matter in Drinking Water
- Consultation – Guidance on the use of Enterococci bacteria as indicators in Canadian drinking water supplies
- Consultation on 1,4-dioxane in drinking water
- Consultation on aluminum in drinking water
- Consultation on Barium in drinking water
- Consultation on Chloramines in drinking water
- Consultation on copper in drinking water
- Consultation on enteric viruses in drinking water
- Consultation on Escherichia coli (E. coli) in Drinking Water
- Consultation on guidance on the use of quantitative microbial risk assessment in drinking water
- Consultation on strontium in drinking water
- Consultation on the review of guideline technical document – Total coliforms in drinking water
- Consultation on uranium in drinking water
- Consultation on uranium in drinking water
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Proposed Amendments to the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations
Federal Drinking Water Systems
Regulatory Resources for Ontario Systems
Disponible en français.
Read MoreFree Small Systems Training from the Government of Canada
‘This site contains water quality training materials that provides basic information that can help a person learn how to operate and maintain a micro-system (water systems serving up to and including 25 people). The training has been developed by Canadian federal departments as part of a multi-barrier approach to providing safe drinking water in areas of federal jurisdiction, including on federal lands, in federal facilities and/or in First Nations communities. This includes Federal government employees working in Canada, as well as Canadian Coast Guard, Canadian Forces personnel, and Canadian diplomatic mission staff working abroad.
The training is provided in two parts: the main training is in a video or e-Learning format with the second part being an accompanying document that can be printed for more in-depth training.’
Water Quality Training Modules
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