Frequently asked questions: Municipal drinking water systems

What is the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)?

The Safe Drinking Water Act is the main provincial law that ensures the quality of Ontario’s drinking water. This act contains the minimal requirements for owners and operators of specific drinking water systems. The Ontario Drinking Water Quality Standards and the Drinking Water Systems regulation are under this act.

Who is the regulatory body of the Safe Drinking Water Act?

The Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change is the regulatory body for this Act. This Ministry is responsible for the inspections, compliance, and enforcement under this act.

What is the role of the Health Unit?

As an owner or operator of a drinking water system under the Safe Drinking Water Act, you are required to report every prescribed adverse water result to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and the Medical Officer of Health immediately after the adverse result is obtained. All necessary paperwork must be filled out and provided to the Health Unit.

If you are the laboratory, you are required to report every prescribed adverse water result to the operating authority responsible for the water system, or the owner of the system. The laboratory must also notify the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and the Medical Officer of Health.

What are the corrective actions required for a prescribed adverse water result?

All of the corrective actions can be found in the schedules in the Drinking Water Systems regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The Medical Officer of Health can require other requirements, mainly the issuance of boil water advisories or drinking water advisories.

This item was last modified on June 12, 2015