Premier Pat Binns and Minister of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Environment Chester Gillan have announced a Drinking Water Strategy to maintain the quality of PEI's drinking water now and for the future.
The strategy takes a multi-barrier approach and addresses both private wells and municipal water systems.
"The strategy we are announcing today will ensure our drinking water stays clear from the ground to the glass," said Premier Binns.
"We are taking action to protect water at the source, to improve system design and operation, and to ensure adequate monitoring and reporting so Islanders can be assured of the high quality of their water."
The Drinking Water Strategy features an action plan that focuses on "Ten Points to Purity," which clearly outline the direction PEI will take in protecting drinking water for the next few years.
Key elements of PEI's Drinking Water Strategy include:
• expanding public information materials on water wells and sewage disposal systems and making them readily available at Access PEI locations, through service providers, and on the website;
• providing new or enhanced resources for service providers including a field manual on site suitability assessment for sewage disposal systems and a site assessment handbook for development of subdivisions;
• revising regulations governing private water wells and onsite sewage disposal systems, emphasizing safety, proper grouting, setbacks from possible sources of contamination, and replacement of antiquated and failing septic tanks;
• developing water monitoring and reporting regulations for central water supply and wastewater treatment systems;
• developing standards and guidelines for supply, storage, distribution and maintenance of water systems;
• enforcing mandatory certification for water supply and wastewater operators;
• achieving full accreditation by the Standards Council of Canada for the Provincial Water Microbiology and Chemistry Laboratories; and
• working with municipalities and landowners in development of a strategy for municipal wellfield protection.
"In essence, we are taking voluntary practices that have served the province well in the past and moving forward with regulations to provide an added level of assurance of the quality of our drinking water," the Premier said. "As well, we are developing new safeguards for our water supply. And, we are providing enhanced information and education resources to homeowners, service providers and developers who play an integral role in helping protect our drinking water."
In addition to the $1 million his Department spends each year in managing and protecting PEI's water resources, Minister Gillan said the Province will spend close to three quarters of a million dollars over the next three years to implement the Drinking Water Strategy. That includes several new or extended staff positions to improve delivery of service to the public.
Premier Binns noted the three levels of government will also spend $20 million in the first round of the current Canada-Prince Edward Island Infrastructure Program to upgrade water and sewer systems in municipalities across the province.
"This will significantly improve the state of water and wastewater infrastructure in Prince Edward Island," the Premier added.
Both Minister Gillan and Premier Binns acknowledged the efforts of many individuals and groups in preserving the high quality of our drinking water.
"Through the Drinking Water Strategy, we will build on this spirit of cooperation to maintain the quality of our drinking water from the ground to the glass, for now and for the future," said Minister Gillan.
BACKGROUNDER
PEI DRINKING WATER STRATEGY
State of the Resource:
Prince Edward Island is unique in that the province relies 100 per cent on groundwater for drinking water. A comprehensive independent assessment of PEI municipal drinking water supplies conducted by the Sierra Club of Canada and the University of Waterloo in 1999 concluded that drinking water supplied by municipal groundwater wells across Prince Edward Island is of good quality.
While there have been incidents of water quality problems, and in some cases boil water advisories in some Island communities this past year, there is no evidence to suggest the quality of the resource is any different today than it might have been a decade or more ago. Boil water advisories are issued as a precautionary measure. In today's environment, people are naturally more cautious. This, combined with more vigilant monitoring by utilities and individual well owners and heightened media attention on water quality issues, is partly responsible for the fact we hear more about water problems in the news.
The Drinking Water Strategy:
The Drinking Water Strategy features an action plan that focuses on "10 Points to Purity." The 10 point strategy uses a multi-barrier approach to protecting drinking water from the ground to the glass, focusing on source protection, system design and operation, and monitoring and reporting.
The first five points relate to private supplies. In PEI, 57 per cent of the population depends on private wells for their drinking water and approximately 40 per cent have onsite sewage disposal systems for wastewater treatment. A high proportion of drinking water quality problems can be directly related to the condition of wells or onsite sewage disposal systems.
1. We will invest in public information materials on planning, construction and maintenance of wells and sewage disposal systems and installation of treatment devices. By fall, 2001.
The Department of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Environment already has resources available on water quality issues and sewage disposal systems. These resources will be expanded and made readily available through Access PEI sites and through service providers, such as well drillers and sewage contractors.
2. We will expand the current Homeowner's Kit encouraging homeowners to keep records for well construction, pump specifications, logs of water sampling and equipment repair. By fall, 2001.
The current kit provides a convenient means for homeowners to keep track of information on the operation and maintenance of onsite sewage disposal systems. The expanded kit will serve as a useful reminder to homeowners to conduct routine maintenance and sampling.
3. We will invest in a field manual for technical staff to use in site suitability assessment for sewage disposal systems. By fall, 2001.
Sewage disposal systems that are installed in unsuitable soils can malfunction, leaking raw, untreated sewage to the soil surface or a roadside ditch, or contaminating the groundwater. This manual will help technical staff identify potential soil problems or site limitations that could affect the performance of an on-site sewage disposal system.
4. We will revise regulations governing water wells and sewage disposals systems, emphasizing safety, proper grouting, setbacks from possible sources of contamination, and replacement of antiquated and failing septic tanks. By spring, 2002.
Poor well construction or maintenance is estimated to be responsible for the presence of total coliform bacteria in approximately 20 per cent of private wells; and failing septic systems can result in the presence of E. coli in drinking water. Currently about 2-3 per cent of wells sampled are found to be contaminated with E.coli.
5. We will update the site assessment handbook for use by developers in water and sewer servicing. By spring, 2002.
The existing handbook is an excellent resource for developers; however, there have been significant changes to sewage disposal regulations and site assessment since its publication. An updated version of the document will provide better advice to developers.
Through the implementation of the first five points, the Province will help ensure that Islanders who draw their drinking water from a private well protect the resource against the most common causes of contamination.
The second five points in the "10 points to purity" relate to municipal supplies. They are designed to ensure that Islanders who rely on a central water supply system for their drinking water can have confidence in the quality of that water.
6. We will develop water monitoring and public reporting regulations for central water supply and wastewater treatment systems. By spring, 2002.
The Department of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Environment developed guidelines in 1999 to assist operators of central water supply systems in designing and implementing monitoring programs to assure the quality of drinking water. Today, most communities are exceeding the requirements for frequency of testing set out in the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality. As the next step, to give added assurance of the safety of water, the Department will develop water monitoring and public reporting regulations for central water supply and wastewater treatment systems. In addition to setting requirements for the frequency of testing, the regulations will require operators of central systems to regularly report test results to the Province and to their utility customers.
7. We will develop Standards and Guidelines for supply, storage, distribution and maintenance of water systems. By fall, 2002.
There currently is no uniform standards document for reference when designing or assessing water supply systems. This new publication will be similar in nature to the standards and guidelines document for wastewater treatment system developed by the Atlantic Provinces.
8. We will enforce mandatory certification for water supply and wastewater operators. By spring, 2003.
Operators delivering water to more than 95 per cent of the population served by municipal systems are already certified by the Atlantic Canada Water & Wastewater Voluntary Certification Program. The voluntary certification program has served PEI well. As part of the Drinking Water Strategy, the Province will move forward with mandatory certification for water supply and wastewater operators.
9. We will achieve full accreditation by the Standards Council of Canada for the Provincial Water Microbiology and Chemistry Laboratories. By spring, 2003.
All testing procedures used by the labs are certified by the Canadian Association for Environmental Analytical Labs. To give Islanders another measure of confidence in the safety of their drinking water, the Province is now in the process of seeking full accreditation for these Provincial Laboratories from the Standards Council of Canada.
10. We will work with municipalities and land owners in development of a strategy for municipal wellfield protection. By spring, 2004.
In other jurisdictions that depend on surface water, treatment technology is the primary method of assuring drinking water quality. PEI is able to deliver high quality water with little or no treatment. However, adequate protection of water at the source is essential. Part of that is protecting the areas surrounding municipal water wells so that other land uses do not lead to contamination of the water supply.
The Financial Commitment:
In addition to the $1 million spent by the Department of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Environment each year in managing and protecting PEI's water resources, close to three quarters of a million dollars will be invested over the next three years to implement the Drinking Water Strategy.
The largest proportion of that is for new or extended staff positions to improve delivery of service to Islanders:
• another groundwater technician position will be added to assist in collecting water samples and providing advice to members of the public when they get their water tested;
• two lab technician positions are being extended from part-time to full-time to process water samples;
• a data entry position is being extended from part-time to full-time to assist in handling the paperwork involved in providing Islanders with test results;
• a hydrogeologist will be hired to work with municipalities and landowners in the development of wellfield protection strategies; and
• a lab technologist will be hired to guide the accreditation process.
Financial resources will also be invested in other means of improving service to the public including: a toll free number Islanders can call to get their water test results or seek advice on a water problem; an interactive system whereby Islanders have more options when it comes to accessing their water test results - via an automated phone system, the internet, or at Access PEI sites; and enhanced information and education resources for homeowners, service providers and developers who play an integral role in helping protect drinking water.
In addition to money budgeted for the Drinking Water Strategy, the Province, in partnership with the Federal government and municipalities in Prince Edward Island, is investing $20 million under the first round of the current Canada-Prince Edward Island Infrastructure Program in water and wastewater infrastructure.