WHEREAS the provincial Safe Drinking Water Regulations differentiate between large and small water systems; AND WHEREAS systems with less than 500 users are allowed to use point-of-entry and point-of-use filtration and disinfection: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED the Union of BC Municipalities request that the Province of BC amend the applicable legislation to allow the user of a point-of-entry system to become the water purveyor, exempt from the current requirements, subject to the point-of-entry systems being installed by a licensed plumber; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all liability rest with the owner of the point-of-entry water system.
MINISTRY OF HEALTH The Drinking Water Protection Act and Regulation permits a Drinking Water Officer to consider approving the use of point-of-entry or point-of-use devices for small water systems. The regulation does not provide blanket permission to use point-of-entry or point-of-use systems as a means of obtaining exemption from the potability requirements of the regulation. Furthermore, other provisions of the Act still apply such as the requirements for: an operating permit abiding by its terms and conditions; water monitoring; and, advising the public of threats to drinking water. The Drinking Water Officer has discretionary authority to administer the Act subject to guidance criteria as set by the Drinking Water Officers Guide. The Drinking Water Officer must be comfortable with a variety of criteria to ensure that the publics health is protected and safe drinking water provided, before agreeing to the use of point-of-entry or point-of-use systems. The presence of point-of-entry or point-of-use devices at individual households does not remove the requirement for the water purveyor to provide potable water to its customers. If there is a failure in any point-of-entry or point-of-use system, the purveyor must then provide potable water. The goal of the Drinking Water Protection Act and Regulation is to ensure public health protection of purveyed drinking water supplies which is addressed by the provisions and wording of the Act. Liability cannot be transferred to a plumber who does not retain ongoing responsibility for the provision of safe drinking water but with proper planning and management a water suppliers liability risks can be substantially reduced.