The Small Drinking Water Systems (SDWS) regulation is a recent regulation, which came into existence December 1, 2008.  This regulation guarantees that water  provided to the public is potable. SDWS are inspected (site-specific risk assessment) by Public Health Units in Ontario and regulated by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MOHLTC). The Small Drinking Water Regulations O.Reg.318 is transitional regulation, which will be revoked in May 2011 and replaced by the Small Drinking Water Regulations O.Reg.319. These regulations are made under  the Health Protection and Promotion Act.


If your business or facility makes drinking wa ter available to the public and you do not get your drinking water from a municipal drinking water system, you may be an owner or operator of a “small drinking water system.” Small drinking water systems can include facilities on private water system such as:

• restaurants,
• seasonal trailer parks, campgrounds or resorts,
•  recreational and athletic facilities,
• hotels, lodges and motels,
• churches, mosques, temples, synagogues, gurudawaras, fire temples or other places of worship, 
• service clubs, gas stations, arenas,  libraries and
•  many other facilities.

In simple terms any place where the general public has access to a drinking water system is a small drinking water system. Non-municipal drinking water systems serving water to  designated facilities which may  serve water to vulnerable populations such as hospitals,  social care facilities, health care facilities, children‘s camps, daycares, schools, universities, colleges or other educational institutions are still monitored and regulated by the Ministry of the Environment, O. Reg. 170.
If you are not sure whether your system is affected, contact  the  Peterborough County-City Health Unit  at (705) 743-1000.


Role of Peterborough County- City Health Unit

Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) will conduct a site-specific risk assessment of your small drinking water system. On the bases of this assessment they will determine the risk factor associated with your drinking water system. They will also help educate the owners or operators to mitigate, reduce and eliminate the risk.  To keep the drinking water safe.  Will issue a directive for your small drinking water system. The directive may include requirement for treatment options, sampling and testing needs, operational checks, posting of warning signage, record keeping, and  operator training necessities.

Get to know Small Drinking Water System

Application Forms
The Small Drinking Water System Identification Form (4579-64E)

This  form is to be used by owners of small drinking water systems present in the jurisdiction of the Peterborough County- City   Health Unit to notify in writing the  Medical Officer of the Health  before supplying drinking water to users of the system following construction or modification of the small drinking water system or following a shut-down of the system that lasts longer than seven days.


The Laboratory Services Notification (LSN) Form (014-4578-64E)

This form is to be used by small drinking water system owners/operators to notify the Peterborough County- City   Health Unit in writing as to which licensed laboratories will test drinking water samples for their small drinking water system.

Notice of Adverse test result and Issue Resolution Form (4580-64E)

The Notice of Adverse Test Results and Issue Resolution form is to be used by licensed laboratories and owners/operators of small drinking water systems to endorse or advocate  required written notifications pertaining to small drinking water system  adverse or negative water quality incidents (AWQI).
More  facts on keeping your drinking water secured:

• Regulations: Get to Know the Law (I) [PDF]

• Frequently Asked Questions [PDF]

• How to Ensure Your Water is Safe Brochure [PDF]

• Source Water [PDF]  

• Treatment Options [PDF]

• Sampling and Testing [PDF] 

• Response to Adverse Events [PDF]

• Operator Training [PDF]

• Directives: Get to Know the Law (II) [PDF]

Other related information:

Sample collection of drinking water to test for total Coliforms and Escherichia coli:

Select a tap from which you need to  collect  water sample; avoid taps with filteration or treatment device

Before collecting water sample wash and sanitize your hands, as well as  the faucet. It is important to keep the work area clean to avoid any sampling errors or contaminations.

Sanitize your facets and hands with 70% rubbing alcohol or  bleach.

Keep the sanitizer on the sampling faucet for 45 seconds to kill any bacteria.

Let the cold water run for 5-10 minutes.

Complete the information on the label which goes on your water sampling bottle and stick this label on the bottle.  If you have any questions call your licensed laboratory.

The sample water bottle is sterile; please do not wash. The bottle contains a preservative and washing the bottle will hamper the results.

Crack open the seal  (if seal is broken please discard) without touching the neck or inside the cap.

Regulate the water flow from the tap to avoid any splashing.

Fill the water bottle till the fill line.

Firmly cap the water bottle, without touching the neck of the bottle or inside the cap.

 

Transporting water sample to the lab:
Put some ice packs in a clean and sanitized insulated bag.
Samples should not be frozen or nor sample temperature must exceed 10°C.
Transport the sample as soon as possible or within  24 hours of collection.
How to disinfect your Well


How to care for your well 


How to get your Well Record


List of Licensed Laboratories


Procedure for disinfecting Drinking water


Procedure For Corrective Action for Systems Not Currently Using Chlorine

Lead in Drinking Water

Lead is a toxic material that is harmful to human health if inhaled or ingested.  The human body cannot tell the difference between lead and calcium, which is a mineral that strengthens the bones.  Like calcium, lead remains in the bloodstream and body organs such as muscle or brain for a few months.  Lead that is not excreted is absorbed into the bones, where it can collect for a lifetime.


Children (under the age of 6), infants and foetuses appear to be particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning.  Growing children will more rapidly absorb any lead they consume.  A child’s mental and physical development can be irreversibly stunted by over-exposure to lead.  

Although the issue of lead in drinking water surfaced in London, Ontario a few years ago, health concerns with lead in drinking water is not a new issue.  Typically lead gets into drinking water after the water leaves the water treatment plant.  The primary source of lead in drinking water comes from the service piping and the private plumbing system, including lead pipes, lead solder on copper pipes, and lead in brass fittings.

Lead Testing
The Maximum Acceptable Concentration (MAC) for lead in drinking water is 10µg/L.
If you suspected your Small Drinking Water System  has lead plumbing you shall contact Peterborough County-City Health Unit.

Presently all known municipal lead services (up to the property line) in the city of Peterborough have been replaced with copper.  The use of lead solder in plumbing was discontinued in 1993.  The Peterborough Utility Services adds a corrosion inhibitor to Peterborough’s drinking water which minimizes the reaction between the water and any lead pipes or solder.  

\Recent tests (April/May 2007) of Peterborough ‘s municipal water shows that lead levels are very low, at less than 1/10th of the allowable level.  
There are four additional large municipal residential water systems in Peterborough County aside from the City of Peterborough’s system.  Below are the most recent lead results for these systems:


Millbrook - tested on Jan15, 2007  Result: 0.56 ug/L (acceptable)
Norwood - tested on March 19, 2007 Result: 0.3 ug/L (acceptable) 
Lakefield - tested on August 8, 2006  Result: 0.27 ug/L (acceptable)
Havelock - tested on March 12, 2007 Result: 2.38 ug/L (acceptable) 
Additional sampling was completed in Peterborough to test the lead levels at the tap in 30 homes.  This testing would reveal if the home plumbing was contributing lead to the water.  Only one sample was found to be higher than the drinking water standard, and the lead piping at that site has already been replaced.


Recommendations

The Peterborough County-City Health Unit provides the following recommendations to owners of small drinking water system concerned with lead in drinking water:

• Have your water tested for  lead by an accredited laboratory.
• If your drinking water has lead  10µg/L. or more contact the Peterborough County-City Health Unit
•  If you suspect lead in your drinking water system Do Not serve water. Water that has been standing in plumbing for more than six hours, will have increased  concentration of lead. 
• Let the cold water run for a more than five minutes to decrease the lead concentration.
• Alternate  source of water (bottled water) should be used for drinking purposes and cooking food. Tap water is safe for bathing, showering, brushing teeth and washing dishes.
• Owners/operators may wish to carry out  a plumbing assessment of their facilities by a plumber or other water quality professional.
• Owners/operators may consider installing tap/faucet mounted filters  into plumbing that are certified NSF/ANSI-53 for lead removal. 

Sodium in the Drinking Water System

Keeping hazardous waste out of our Drinking water System

For further information please call  Peterborough County- City Health Unit, 
Small Drinking Water Systems inspectors at 705-743-1000
Chris Eaton Ext: 225
David Sargla Ext: 248
Ravi Shahe Ext: 267