WHEREAS municipalities from time to time receive groundwater or surface water test reports from certified laboratories indicating contamination results higher than the Canadian safety standards; AND WHEREAS unsatisfactory test results typically prompt authorities to issue an advisory or restriction on use of that water, but no investigation or plan to remediate the situation: Therefore be it resolved that the UBCM call on the Province to establish a fund to allow local governments to identify the source of contamination and devise and implement a plan for remediation.
Ministry of Community, Sport Cultural Development British Columbias new Water Sustainability Act received Royal Assent in May 2014. The new Act will bring greater certainty and security for all users. Our demand for water province-wide is increasing, in part driven by changing climate, expanding resource development and growing communities. The new Act creates more tools to manage BC water resources, which means new business for the provincial government. The Province recognizes that water is vital to human life and ecosystem health. While source water protection is largely a provincial responsibility, water purveyors in British Columbia are responsible for the quality of potable water. Nationally, there are a number of resources available to jurisdictions that support source water protection. For example, through Health Canada, the Canadian Drinking Water Guidelines are developed for both ground and surface water sources. In 2003, the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment also published From Source to Tap: Guidance on the Multi-Barrier Approach to Safe Drinking Water. Both resources are used in British Columbia. Under the new Act, both new groundwater regulation and a number of tools will be enabled that will also support source water protection. For example, Provincial Water Objectives will require that decision makers consider the impacts of individual activities on water quality including drinking water. Where developed, Watershed Sustainability Plans will consider the impact of land-based activities on water and the watershed. Local governments are eligible to apply to the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Developments Infrastructure Planning Grant Program to assist with assessing their water system and developing remediation options or plan.