Ontario Changes Water Testing Rules
Heavy Pressure From Walkerton Tragedy
Dateline: 05/29/00
In the face of bitterness and hostility after the deadly outbreak of E.coli bacteria in the Walkerton, Ontario water supply, Ontario Environment Minister Dan Newman has announced that his ministry is beginning work immediately to make mandatory changes to regulations on water testing in Ontario.
In a press conference, Newman said the changes will require that:
- all labs - or facilities performing tests on drinking water - must be accredited. Right now, municipalities are only "strongly encouraged" to use accredited facilities.
- municipalities must inform the Ministry of the Environment if they change the labs doing their water testing
- all Certificates of Approval for water facilities in Ontario will be reviewed by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. And, they will be reviewed at least every three years.
- notification procedures for labs will be made "absolutely and unequivocally clear" to avoid any possible confusion about reporting obligations. If a lab finds test results indicating unsafe drinking water, it will be required to report the results to the Ministry of the Environment, and to the Medical Officer of Health, as well as to the municipal water facility operator.
The regulations and the penalties associated with non-compliance still have to be formulated, but the Minister wanted to make the ministry's intentions clear as soon as possible.
Three separate investigations are now under way into the events surrounding the deadly E.coli outbreak in the Walkerton, Ontario water supply:
- Ontario Provincial Police
- Coroner's Inquest into the five deaths, and
- Ontario Ministry of the Environment.
