WHEREAS the provision of safe, reliable potable water is a key and basic local government service; AND WHEREAS the responsible management of potable water systems rests with local governments; AND WHEREAS public confidence in municipal and regional water systems is important not only for individual well-being, but also for community economic growth and investor confidence; AND WHEREAS inconsistent interpretation and application of water quality standards across the province are undermining public confidence in local water systems, creating public confusion due to substantially different regulations from area to area and creating public fatigue where water advisories become common practice rather than significant exceptions: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of BC Municipalities request that the Province of BC establish province-wide standards to be applied universally and implemented consistently in order to protect public health and public confidence in local and regional potable water systems.
MINISTRY OF HEALTH The Ministry of Health supports the use of the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality as the guidelines for water quality in British Columbia. Guidelines allow drinking water officers to determine the parameters most appropriate for individual water systems. The adoption of mandatory standards could force water suppliers to spend resources addressing relatively low hazards when there are higher priorities for them to address in regard to their water system.