Support for Ontario to Continue to Protect the Safety of Private Drinking Water (Motion #48-24)

Board of Health for Public Health Sudbury & Districts, September 19, 2024

Motion moved by Noland – Fortin

48-24  SUPPORT FOR ONTARIO TO CONTINUE TO PROTECT THE SAFETY OF PRIVATE DRINKING WATER

MOTION:

WHEREAS twenty-two percent of households within the Public Health Sudbury & Districts service area rely on private drinking water systems; and

WHEREAS it is recommended that drinking water be tested frequently to ensure that it is safe for human consumption; and

WHEREAS exposure to contaminated drinking water can lead to severe gastrointestinal illness and in rare cases may result in death; and

WHEREAS anyone can become ill from drinking contaminated water; however, children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems are at a higher risk of the harmful effects; and

WHEREAS Public Health Ontario’s Well Water Testing program is a publicly-funded service that tests water samples from private drinking water sources for indicators of bacterial contamination; and

WHEREAS testing drinking water quality at private laboratories can be cost prohibitive; and

WHEREAS Public Health Ontario in conjunction with the Ministry of Health has proposed joint modernization plans in 2017 and again in January 2023 that proposed discontinuing well water testing as part of a plan to streamline operations; and

WHEREAS the Auditor General of Ontario in its December 6, 2023 Value-for-Money Audit: Public Health Ontario, called for Public Health Ontario and the Ministry of Health to move forward with streamlining laboratory operations in consideration of the proposed modernization plans; and

WHEREAS Public Health Ontario and the Ministry of Health have not yet announced a final plan for streamlining laboratory operations at this time;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Board of Health for Public Health Sudbury & Districts strongly recommends to the Minister of Health and to Public Health Ontario that Ontario’s Well Water Testing program be continued in the plan to implement streamlined laboratory operations, and

That the Board of Health endorse the resolutions adopted by the Council of the Town of Gore Bay (May 14, 2024), the Council of the Corporation of Northeastern Manitoulin & the Islands (May 23, 2024), and the Council of Central Manitoulin (July 8, 2024) concerning provincial well water testing.

CARRIED

This item was last modified on September 24, 2024