Water Program - Public Health Protection

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=95	Health=20 Protection Home
=95	Environm= ental=20 Health Protection
=95	Drinking Water Program=20
=95	Land=20 Use Program
=95	General = Sanitation Program
=95	What's= =20 New
=95	Pu= blications



=95	Health=20 Files
=95	Health=20 Authorities
=95	Drinking = Water Protection Act
=95	Drinking Water=20 Protection Regulation
=95	Sanitary= =20 Regulations (Health Act)
=95	Guidelines=20 for Canadian Drinking Water Quality
=95	Water Resource=20 Information
=95	Water Use=20 Planning In BC
=95	Community=20 Watersheds
=95	Questions=20 and Answers on Bottled Water (Health = Canada)

Drinking=20 Water Program

= New=20 Drinking Water Legislation Now in Force=20

The = Drinking=20 Water Program provides expert advice to Health Authorities, = and=20 develops legislation, guidelines and policies on drinking = water.=20

Drinking=20 Water Protection Plan=20

A = safe and=20 dependable supply of drinking water is critical for the = health of=20 all British Columbians, now and in the future. To deliver on = its=20 commitment, the provincial government has consulted across=20 jurisdictions and ministries to establish a comprehensive = framework=20 for the protection of drinking water and public health.=20 Consultations with the public, water quality experts, and = the=20 managers of water supply and sources ensure the continued = integrity=20 of BC's network of private and public systems.

British=20 Columbia's Drinking Water Action Plan will ensure = that:=20

leadership and=20 accountability exist in the drinking water = system;
drinking water=20 is protected from source to tap in the most effective = manner=20 possible;
small drinking=20 water systems have adequate checks and balances to ensure = ongoing=20 quality and supply; and,
the system=20 produces safe and affordable drinking = water.

British = Columbia is=20 committed to improving and protecting the province's = drinking water=20 system.

New Drinking Water Legislation Now in = Force=20

The amended Drinking Water Protection = Act and=20 regulations came into force on May 16, 2003, replacing the = Safe=20 Drinking Water Regulation under the Health Act. These = new=20 measures governing drinking water from =93source to tap=94 = will better=20 protect the health and safety of British Columbians. =

Update: = Tougher Rules=20 Safeguard Province=92s Drinking Water

Drinking=20 Water Protection Act

Drinking=20 Water Protection Regulation

Drinking=20 Water Speech - April 28, 2003 (PDF 36Kb)

Letter To All = Drinking=20 Water Suppliers In B.C.(PDF = 21.9KB)

The = Drinking=20 Water Protection Act requires water suppliers to have=20 microbiological samples analysed by a laboratory which has = been=20 approved by the Provincial Health Officer.

Lis= t=20 of Approved Water Testing Laboratories

Other=20 Information on Drinking Water

White Paper:	Drinking=20 Water Protection Act - White Paper on Draft = Regulations=20 (April 2003)
Action Plan:	Action = Plan for=20 Safe Drinking Water in British = Columbia=20 (2002)
Opinion-Editorial:	Safe=20 Drinking Water Vital for B.C. Communities (June = 21, 2002)=20
News Release:	New=20 Action Plan to Deliver Safer Drinking Water (June = 19,=20 2002)
Backgrounder:=20	Ensuring=20 Safe Drinking Water (June 19, = 2002)
Transcript:	Open=20 Cabinet Meeting (June 19, 2002) =
Presentation to Cabinet:	Action=20 Plan for Safe Drinking Water in B.C. (June 19, = 2002)=20 (PDF 23K)
Cabinet Submission:	Safe=20 Drinking Water (June 19, 2002) (PDF 60K) =
News=20 Release:	Drinking=20 Water Review Panel Releases Final Report (February = 13,=20 2002)(PDF 23K) Backgrounder=20 (PDF 40K)
News=20 Release:	Drinking=20 Water Legislation to Be Reviewed (September 25, = 2001;=20 Ministry of Water, Land and Air=20 Protection)

The = lessons of=20 other provinces and the recommendations of recent, = independent=20 reviews are also key considerations for safeguarding water = quality=20 and strengthening protection measures. Recent reviews = include:=20

D= rinking=20 Water Review Panel's Final Report: Panel Review of British = Columbia's Drinking Water Protection Act (2002)=20 (PDF 198K)=20
Summary:=20 Public Input to the Drinking Water Review Panel = (PDF 210K)=20
Pr= ovincial=20 Health Officer's report, Drinking Water Quality in British = Columbia: The Public Health Perspective (2002)=20
British=20 Columbia Auditor General's report, Protecting Drinking = Water=20 Sources (1999)

3D"Back

Information=20 on Drinking Water

Publications=20 on Drinking Water=20

Health=20 Files on Drinking Water

3D"Back
Services=20

Environmental=20 Health Protection Programs are administered locally by = Medical=20 Health Officers and Environmental Health Officers, who are=20 responsible for direct service delivery in BC's Health=20 Authorities.

Medical Health=20 Officers and Environmental Health Officers provide = surveillance and=20 monitoring of activities and premises which may affect the = public's=20 health. They also administer and enforce provincial = legislation=20 related to environmental health, and provide interventions = to=20 minimize health and safety hazards.

For = more=20 information on services in your community, look in the blue = pages of=20 your local telephone directory under public or community = health, or=20 view a list of Health=20 Authorities.

Contact=20 Information:

Ministry of Health Planning

E-mail: Health = Protection=20 Planning

Phone: (250) 952-1469

Fax: (250) = 952-1486

PDF Format=20

Some documents on this Web site are in PDF format and = require a=20 PDF reader. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader Version = 4.0 or=20 higher or the most recent version of another PDF reader, you = can=20 download Adobe Acrobat Reader by selecting the 'Get Acrobat = Reader'=20 icon.

Last Revised: August=20 13, 2003