Drinking Water System Operators
The most constant monitoring of drinking water is done by the drinking water facilities themselves. All systems providing water to more than 5 people are required by regulation to monitor and test the quality of their water output.
The Drinking Water Protection Regulation schedule establishes the minimum number of samples per month per the number of people who drink from the system.
| Population Served by the Prescribed Water Supply System | Number of Samples Per Month |
| Less than 5,000 | 4 |
| 5,000 to 90,000 | 1 per 1,000 population |
| More than 90,000 | 90, plus 1 per 10,000 population in excess of 90,000 |
It is ultimately the water supplier’s duty to maintain the system in accordance with the water standards, monitoring, and notifying the public if there is a potential (or actual) problem with the drinking water.
Government – Health Authorities – Drinking Water Officers
Drinking water is approached in BC as a health issue, and as such, falls under the power of the Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport. While the Ministry addresses large-scale operations (like developing legislation), the more hands-on response to drinking water concerns is delegated to the regional health authorities. The Fraser River falls within the boundaries of four of BC’s health service areas: Interior, Vancouver Coastal, Fraser, and Northern Health authorities. These Health Authorities provide information to the public, issue, and monitor boil water advisories, and facilitate public complaint.
Health authorities also employ Drinking Water Officers, the statutorily created position responsible for inspecting, investigating, and issuing orders to drinking water suppliers. These officers routinely inspect drinking water systems to ensure compliance with the regulations, and gauge water safety based on the drinking water guidelines.
For a visual representation of governmental health agencies concerned with drinking water, as well as a resource for greater information, visit BC’s Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport.
Wells & Private Water Supplies
There is, of course, no outside monitoring of private drinking water supplies. Owners of this type of supply are responsible for their own drinking water safety.
The Ground Water Protection Regulation serves as a good overview of some of the required safety steps that well owners must take to preserve the safety of their own drinking water (as well as the safety of communal groundwater below). The BC Ministry of Environment has recently published a pamphlet clearly outlining some of the responsibilities of well owners under this act.
There are, however, advocates for well water safety, and a wealth of information on proper well maintenance and testing is available from your regional public health authorities.
If you detect abnormal contamination, especially chemical, it may be a good idea to contact your public health unit to inquire about the safety of consuming the water.
You can find information on your Public Health authority under the section Health Authority Drinking Water Programs.
Other Groups
An interesting and unique community-based approach to water monitoring has been taken by the Private Well Network in Langley. Aside from providing support to well owners, the network collects data from members to construct their Private Well Network Atlas, a data source for well owners to learn about the common water resources they share, and contribute information that can be used to ensure that well water is kept safe.
A number of governmental agencies have developed a resource called Waterbucket to provide information on a range of water issues ranging from conservation in agricultural uses, to implementing green infrastructure. The site also contains information on ‘water centric planning’ and drinking water issues.
A list of a number of other groups interested in water issues and water resources can be found at the Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport referral page.
