Remembrance Day November 10, 2004
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Province puts off drinking water regulations againby Jeff Green
The Liberal government in Ontario has been grappling with water regulations as they apply to rural municipal halls, churches and businesses that provide water to the public since they came to power last year. This week they have opted to buy some more time.
Several months ago Minister Dombrowsky announced that the water regulations were to be reviewed. The deadlines were relaxed at that time, and this week at a public meeting arranged by the advisory council that she had appointed to look at the regulations, she announced a further relaxing of the deadlines.
A Ministry statement said the Councils advice will not be received in time to make regulatory amendments before the current deadline of December 31/04 that affects many drinking water systems, and then says, Extending the deadlines will allow the minister time to carefully consider the councils advice and provide for more time for communities to implement changes.
The new deadlines that apply to rural municipalities, churches, restaurants and seasonal businesses are the following: 1) Municipalities will have to begin testing their water by January 1, 2006; 2) by July 1, 2006 all of the affected parties must submit notices to the Ministry indicating their intentions as regards engineering studies and water treatment that are required under the Act; and 3) by December 31, 2006, the treatment required under the act must be installed. These new deadlines represent extensions of one year to 18 months from the deadlines that had been in place until this week.
For several months, in lieu of commencing water testing, signs have been posted in township halls in Frontenac County stating that the water is not being tested under Regulation 170/03. These signs can now remain in place until the end of 2005 before municipalities will be required to have the water tested on a weekly basis. However, the signs have caused confusion among the public, because they do not acknowledge that water in township halls does get tested for coliform levels by the Health Unit according to the health and safety regulations which have been in place for many years. They lead some people to think the water is not tested at all. Regulation 170/03 will require that water be tested for coliform and a variety of other chemicals.
For municipalities, barring any changes to the regulations, an expensive testing regime will have to be commenced by the end of 2005, although they will not be required to treat the water for a further year. Water testing promises to be a very expensive part of the water regulation process.
Minister Dombrowsky continues to say that the Liberal government will bring in revised regulations that will ensure that all our communities are safe, clean, and livable. It is essential that we get this regulation right.
She has also said, on many occasions, that the McGuinty government will implement all of the regulations in the OConner report in the Walkerton water tragedy, which precipitated Regulation 170/03.
The relaxing of deadlines will give the MoE a few more months to find a way to fully implement the OConner report without causing economic hardship to rural communities.
According to Art Chamberlain, a spokesperson from the Ministers Office, the Minister expects to receive a report from the Advisory Committee by the end of November, and will be presenting revised regulations sometime early in 2005 for public comment
Estimates vary, but the cost of engineering and water treatment is expected to be a minimum of $5,000 per water system, and ongoing testing will cost thousands of dollars each year. It is feared that these costs will be more than some marginal rural businesses can handle and they will end up either going out of business or flouting the law. It is unclear how the Ministry of the Environment intends to enforce their new water regulations
The latest announcement by the MoE will be welcomed by local municipalities, specifically North and Central Frontenac, who have recently been considering how they will be able to deal with looming deadlines under an Act that is about to be changed, perhaps into something that will be less expensive to comply with. They will now be able to see the amended act before they begin to spend money.
