Islanders' awareness of the importance of having their water tested on a regular basis continued to grow in 2001.
Minister of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Environment Chester Gillan said the number of water samples processed by the Provincial Microbiology Laboratory last year was a record high of 16,340. That figure included sampling of 8,981 private wells in Prince Edward Island, an increase of more than 50 per cent over the number of wells tested in 2000.
"I am pleased to see that more and more Islanders are making water quality analysis part of their annual household maintenance routine," the Minister said. "Over half the population in Prince Edward Island depend on private wells for their drinking water supply, so it is vital that we work in cooperation with Island homeowners to protect our water resources for future generations."
The Provincial Microbiology Laboratory has witnessed a steady increase in the number of water samples the past few years. In 1999, the lab processed 5,127 samples and, in 2000, 10,889 samples, including samples from 5,353 private wells. In addition to samples from private wells, the figures include samples from municipal water systems and resampling of both private and municipal systems.
Looking at the water test results from 2001, Minister Gillan said the quality of Prince Edward Island water remains high. The percentage of water samples containing E. coli bacteria was 2.4 per cent, while 8.5 per cent of samples contained total coliform bacteria of greater than 10 organisms per 100 millilitres. Those results are in keeping with previous years.
In addition to samples processed by the Provincial Microbiology Lab, 3,345 water samples were analyzed by the Provincial Chemistry Laboratory in 2001, up from 2,409 the previous year. Samples are analyzed for a suite of water quality parameters including chloride, lead, nitrate, and manganese.
Minister Gillan said the 2001 results are generally consistent with previous results. The percentage of samples exceeding the Canadian guideline for chloride is down approximately one per cent, and the percentage of samples exceeding the guideline for nitrate increased from 3.5 per cent in 2000 to 4.5 per cent in 2001.
Minister Gillan said the provincial government is working on several initiatives to address the most common sources of nitrate - fertilizers, manure and domestic sewage.
"As part of the Drinking Water Strategy, my department is revising regulations governing sewage disposal systems and investing in materials for homeowners and contractors to encourage the proper siting, construction and maintenance of sewage disposal systems," the Minister said.
"As well, the Agricultural Crop Rotation Act, nutrient management plans and other sustainable agriculture initiatives the Department of Agriculture and Forestry is working on with producers will help reduce concentrations of nitrates in groundwater."
Minister Gillan noted the Provincial Microbiology and Chemistry Laboratories are continuing to work toward full accreditation by the Standards Council of Canada. All testing procedures used by the labs are already certified by the Canadian Association for Environmental Analytical Labs. Accreditation by the Standards Council of Canada is an added measure of quality assurance, the Minister added.
For further information on having their water tested, Islanders can call the Department of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Environment, Water Resources Division, at 368-5044 or toll free 1-866-368-5044.