Practices for Collection and Handling of Drinking Water Samples
This guide provides information to anyone who collects and submits a sample to a licensed drinking water testing laboratory in Ontario, as well as to all licensed laboratories. This sampling guide was made so that the requirements of O. Reg. 248/03 section 9.(1)(a) can be met.
This document provides guidance for:
- water treatment plant owners/operators or anyone who may collect and submit a sample to a licensed drinking water testing laboratory in Ontario to meet Ontario’s environmental regulatory and approval requirements
- provincial officers sampling to verify the integrity of a drinking water system’s self-monitoring information, or in response to adverse water quality notifications
Practices for Collection and Handling of Drinking Water Samples
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Public Health Inspector Resources
Guides
Drinking Water Quality in Canada
Ontario Public Health Standards: Protocols and Guidelines
Drinking Water Haulage Guidance Document
Practices for the Collection and Handling of Drinking Water Samples
Procedure for Disinfection of Drinking Water in Ontario
Public Health Inspectors Guide
Technical Support Document for Ontario Drinking Water Standards, Objectives and Guidelines
Protocols & Guidelines
Operational Approaches for Recreational Water Guideline, 2018
Recreational Water Protocol, 2019
Recreational Water Reference Document, 2019
Safe Drinking Water and Fluoride Monitoring Protocol, 2019
Small Drinking Water Systems Risk Assessment Guideline, 2018
Regulations
Health Protection and Promotion Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.7
Ontario Water Resources Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. O.40
O. Reg. 170/03: DRINKING WATER SYSTEMS
O. Reg. 319/08: SMALL DRINKING WATER SYSTEMS
Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 32
Sampling & Analysis
Bacteriological Analysis of Water: Multiple Sample Requisition for Official Agencies
Drinking Water Testing – Official Agencies | Public Health Ontario
Drinking Water Testing – Private Citizen
Potability of Water Release Form
Practices for the Collection and Handling of Drinking Water Samples
Recreational Water Facilities and Public Pools Spas
Requisition for Specimen Containers and Supplies
Sewage, Suspected Sewage Contamination – Water
Water Testing – Who to Contact
Water Sample Analysis – Public Health Inspectors Guide
Well Water Testing (Private Drinking Water)
Arsenic from community water fluoridation: quantifying the effect
Emergency Management : Keeping Food and Water Safe after a Flood
Zika Virus Infection and the Flint, Michigan, Water Crisis: A Study in Surprising Commonalities
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Find Licensed Well Contractors
Laboratory Accreditation and Licensing
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
Ministry of the Environment – District Locator
Ministry of the Environment – Drinking Water
Legionella
Environmental Microbiology Investigation Requisition Form
Infectious Diseases Protocol – Appendix A: Disease – Specific Chapters – Legionellosis
Legionella and the prevention of legionellosis
Legionella: Introduction of molecular screening of environmental water samples
Legionella (Legionnaires’ Disease and Pontiac Fever)
Legionella: questions and answers, 2nd edition
Legionella – Respiratory PCR and Culture
Legionellosis in Ontario, January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018
Legionellosis (Legionella, Legionnaires Disease)
Presentations
Legionellosis: Key Considerations for Case and Environmental Exposure Investigation
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Potable Water Hauling
This collection of resources was gathered for haulers of potable drinking water. Guidance documents and information on inspections, sanitizing and sampling procedures can be found here.
If you have any questions regarding hauling potable drinking water, contact your local public health unit to speak to an inspector.
Visit our online library’s main webpage to find more resources on topics related to drinking water.
WCWC Helpline Frequently Asked Questions
What are the requirements for hauling potable water?
Ontario Resources
Drinking Water Haulage Guidance Document (Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, 2008)
Drinking Water Hauler Inspection Program – Health Unit Haldimand-Norfolk
Drinking Water Haulage Vehicle Requirements
Water Hauler Guidelines (Niagara Region, 2016)
Water Hauler Daily Activity Log Sheet (Niagara Region, 2016)
Canadian Resources
Disinfection Guideline for Bulk Water Haulers (saskh2o.ca)
Bulk Water Hauling Guidelines (gov.mb.ca)
Chlorine Testing
How to analyze free chlorine residual
How to analyze total chlorine residual
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WCWC How-To Videos
The Walkerton Clean Water Centre has created instructional videos to provide guidance to operators and trained persons. This series demonstrates how to analyze different parameters to assess drinking water quality.
Contact us to request a topic for a future how-to video.
Visit our online library’s main webpage to find more resources on topics related to drinking water.
How-to Analyze Water Quality Videos
How to analyze free chlorine residual
How to analyze Microcystin-LR equivalence using ELISA
How to analyze monochloramine and free ammonia
How to analyze pH and temperature
How to analyze total and dissolved organic carbon (TOC/DOC)
How to analyze total chlorine residual
How to analyze UV absorbance and transmittance
How to monitor nitrification in the field
Monitoring nitrification parameters: PPA vs. spectrophotometer analysis
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Lead
‘Children up to six years old are more sensitive to the effects of lead because they are still developing and their small bodies can absorb it more easily than adults. Even small amounts of lead can be harmful to young children, infants and pregnant women (Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, 2020).’
The following links provide information regarding lead in drinking water and how to minimize exposure through line replacement, flushing, treatment and sampling programs.
Visit our online library’s main webpage to find more resources on topics related to drinking water.
Abstracts
Effectiveness of Prevailing Flush Guidelines to Prevent Exposure to Lead in Tap Water
Community Communication
Communicating about Lead Service Lines
Contaminants in the Water Supply: Lead
Daily cleaning tips to clean your home’s drinking water pipes
Drinking water: What about lead?
How to clean your faucet aerator
How to Identify Lead Free Certification Marks for Drinking Water System & Plumbing Products
How to know if you have a lead water pipe
How to replace your lead pipes
How to test your water for lead
Lead and Drinking Water: Talking with Your Community
Lead in Drinking Water: Fact Sheet
Together, Let’s Get the Lead Out!
Lead Service Line Replacement
Approaches to Lead Service Line Replacement
Collaborating to Replace Lead Service Lines Webinar: Filter Effectiveness
Communicating about Lead Service Lines
Coordinating and Implementing Replacement of Lead Service Lines
Digging Deep – Searching Decades of National Records to Find Lead Service Lines and Goosenecks
Encouraging Customer-Initiated LSL Replacement Webinar: Two Case Studies
Engaging Communities in Planning and Communicating about LSL Replacement Webinar
Equity Considerations in LSL Replacement Programs Webinar
High‐Velocity Household and Service Line Flushing Following LSL Replacement
How to check your water service line material
How to Identify Lead Free Certification Marks for Drinking Water System & Plumbing Products
Identifying Service Line Material
Information for Property Owners about Lead Water Service Line Replacement
Intensive flushing to clean your home’s drinking water pipes following a LSL replacement
Introduction to Lead and Lead Service Line Replacement
Lead in Water and Full Lead Service Line Replacement
Lead Service Line Identification and Replacement: Introduction to the Series
Lead Service Line Replacement Collaborative
Lead Service Line Replacement: Funding
Lead Service Line Replacement: Legal Factors
Lead Service Line Replacement: Outreach Materials
Lead Service Line Replacement: Plan Development
Lead Service Line Replacement Practices
Lead Service Line Replacement: Vital Tips from Leading Utility Managers
Lead Service Lines Frequently Asked Questions
Managing Lead in Drinking Water
Managing Lead in Pipe Scales – Understanding How Water Quality Affects Lead Release
Mapping Lead Service Lines: Charting a Path to Engage a Community Webinar
Mapping Lead Service Line Probability in Small Water Systems
Preparing a Lead Service Line Inventory
Q&A from Lead Service Line Replacement: Vital Tips from Leading Utility Managers
RCAP, Small Water Systems and Lead Service Line Inventories Webinar
Replacing lead service lines at Denver Water
Replacing Lead Service Lines in Early Learning Environments Webinar
Strategies to Obtain Customer Acceptance of Complete Lead Service Line Replacement
Understanding Lead Service Line Replacement Techniques
Use of Lead Free Pipes, Fittings, Fixtures, Solder, and Flux for Drinking Water
Managing & Minimizing Exposure
3Ts for Child Care Facilities: A Training, Testing and Taking Action Approach
3Ts for Public Water Utilities: A Training, Testing and Taking Action Approach
3Ts for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water Toolkit
3Ts for Tribal Schools: A Training, Testing and Taking Action Approach
Aggregation of Lead Phosphate Particles: Implication for Lead Removal in Tap Water
Chloride to Sulfate Mass Ratio and Galvanic Connection Changes – Impact on Lead Leaching
Daily cleaning tips to clean your home’s drinking water pipes
Flint, MI Drinking Water Crisis
Flint Water Crisis: Can It Happen in Canada?
Guidance on Controlling Corrosion in Drinking Water Distribution Systems
Guide for Small Community Water Suppliers and Local Health Officials on Lead in Drinking Water
How to clean your faucet aerator
Identify and Remove Sources of Lead
Identifying Service Line Material
Intensive flushing to clean your home’s drinking water pipes
Lead and Copper Corrosion: An Overview of WRF Research
Lead and Copper Corrosion Control in New Construction
Lead and Copper Rule Monitoring and Reporting Guidance for Public Water Systems
Lead and Copper Rule Revisions White Paper
Lead in Drinking Water: Homes and Schools
Lead (IV) Oxide Formation and Stability in Drinking Water Distribution Systems
Lead Safe Toolkit for Home-Based Child Care Webinar Series – Lead in Drinking Water
Minimize Your Risk of Lead Exposure
Optimal Corrosion Control Treatment Evaluation Technical Recommendations
Poisoned Pipelines: What Can Be Learned from the Catastrophe in Flint, Michigan?
Proposed Revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule
Public Health and Industry: Partners In Reducing Lead Exposure
Use of Lead Free Pipes, Fittings, Fixtures, Solder, and Flux for Drinking Water
When to Make a Corrosion Control Treatment Change
Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water
Contaminants in the Water Supply: Lead
Drinking water: What about lead?
Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality for Lead
Is there Lead in my Drinking Water? Brochure
Lead in Drinking Water Fact Sheet
Lead in Drinking Water ‐ Frequently Asked Questions
Lead in Drinking Water – NSF Certified Filters
Sources of Lead in Drinking Water
Water Talk – Lead in drinking water
Standards
AWWA C810-17 REPLACEMENT AND FLUSHING OF LEAD SERVICE LINES
INTERNAL CORROSION CONTROL AND LEAD SERVICE LINE REPLACEMENT DVD
M58 INTERNAL CORROSION CONTROL IN WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS, SECOND EDITION
Testing
Assessing Portable Analyzers for Lead Testing in School Drinking Water
Evaluation of Lead Line Sampling Strategies
Lead Sampling Protocols for School Drinking Water
Testing for Lead In School Drinking Water: A Summary of Sampling Protocols
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