| #Q001 | reporting | health | recommended | Consumer Information Access | drinking water | Authorities should also ensure consumers have access to information about their drinking water supply which may affect their health. | | high |
| #Q002 | treatment | health | recommended | Disinfection of Drinking Water Supplies | drinking water | Therefore, barring system-specific exemptions, it is recommended that all drinking water supplies be disinfected. | Barring system-specific exemptions | high |
| #Q003 | treatment | treatment | recommended | Minimum Treatment for Surface Water | drinking water | In addition, minimum treatment of all supplies derived from surface water sources and groundwater impacted by surface waters should include coagulation, sedimentation and filtration, or equivalent technologies. | Applies to supplies derived from surface water sources and groundwater impacted by surface waters | high |
| #Q004 | design | treatment | recommended | Use of Alternative Treatment Approaches | drinking water | Alternative approaches should only be used if it can be demonstrated these are better or equivalent ways of achieving the same objectives. | When minimum treatment criteria are not being followed strictly | high |
| #Q005 | operational | health | recommended | Cross-Connection Control Programs | drinking water | For this reason, communities are strongly encouraged to have active cross-connection control programs in place, supported by municipal by-laws. | | high |
| #Q006 | monitoring | health | mandatory | Appropriate Microbiological Tests | drinking water | Approved microbiological tests must be those developed for drinking water; methodologies for environmental sample analysis are not appropriate in this situation. | | high |
| #Q007 | administrative | operational | recommended | Laboratory Accreditation | drinking water | Laboratories should be accredited to perform the specific analyses required. | | high |
| #Q008 | reporting | health | mandatory | Communication of Test Results | drinking water | It is imperative that clear lines of communication be established between the laboratory, the agency operating the treatment plant and the regulator, so test results which may affect public health can be dealt with in an open, timely and effective manner. | | high |
| #Q009 | operational | health | recommended | Source Water Risk Assessment | drinking water | At this stage, an assessment should be made of the potential risks associated with the source. | When identifying water to be used as the source of drinking water | high |
| #Q010 | design | operational | recommended | System Risk Minimization Design | drinking water | The system should be designed to minimize the impact of the risks over time. | | high |
| #Q011 | operational | health | recommended | Intake and Reservoir Hazard Assessment | drinking water | In assessing these components, all potential hazards and their causes should be identified, and the level of risk associated with each of the hazards estimated, so priorities for risk management action can be established. | When assessing groundwater wells, intakes and raw water reservoirs | high |
| #Q012 | design | treatment | recommended | Treatment System Site-Specific Design | drinking water | Treatment systems should be designed based on the site-specific raw water quality. Seasonal variations should be taken into account. | | high |
| #Q013 | design | health | recommended | Treatment Risk Mitigation | drinking water | The treatment selected should address all potential hazards and the level of risk associated with those hazards. | | high |
| #Q014 | design | health | recommended | Reservoir and Distribution Design Criteria | drinking water | Treated water reservoirs and distribution systems should be designed to take the following into account: access by wildlife and people, system capacity, emergency water storage, contact time required for disinfection, minimizing or eliminating dead ends, and cross-connection controls. | | high |
| #Q015 | design | operational | recommended | Compliance with By-laws and Regulations | drinking water | They should also be designed and constructed in compliance with all local or provincial by-laws, best management practices and regulations. | Applies to treated water reservoirs and distribution systems | high |
| #Q016 | design | health | mandatory | Certification of Plumbing Products | drinking water | licensed home builders and plumbers are required to install only certified products into homes in order to meet the requirements of plumbing codes. | | high |
| #Q017 | administrative | operational | recommended | Waterworks Projects Review | drinking water | Waterworks projects should be reviewed and, once approved, should have conditions to be met clearly outlined. | | high |
| #Q018 | monitoring | operational | recommended | Treatment Plant Inspections | drinking water | Treatment plants should be inspected on an on-going basis to ensure quality benchmarks are being met. | | high |
| #Q019 | corrective_action | operational | recommended | Remediation Processes | drinking water | If these benchmarks are not being met, processes should be in place to remediate the situation. | When quality benchmarks are not being met | high |
| #Q020 | reporting | health | mandatory | Public Reporting System for Health Risks | drinking water | it is imperative for a reporting system to be in place for notifying the public when test results show drinking water presents a potentially serious health risk, or to explain the significance of changes in aesthetic quality. | | high |
| #Q021 | monitoring | operational | recommended | Representative Sampling Assurance | drinking water | Because samples are taken from such a small fraction of the water in any given system, as much as possible should be done to ensure the water in the samples is representative of the quality of the water throughout the plant and distribution system. | | high |
| #Q022 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Up-to-Date Distribution Drawings | drinking water | In order to quickly remediate situations where water flow appears to be restricted, it is imperative that up-to-date drawings of the distribution system be kept in an accessible location. | | high |
| #Q023 | operational | health | mandatory | Disinfection Need Training | drinking water | This training must include basic education about the need for disinfection to ensure public health goals are met. | Applies to treatment plant and distribution system operator training | high |
| #Q024 | operational | operational | mandatory | Operator Skill Maintenance | drinking water | It is imperative that operators and other staff have on-going access to opportunities for maintaining and upgrading their skills and knowledge on a regular basis. | | high |
| #Q025 | corrective_action | operational | mandatory | Incident and Emergency Procedures | drinking water | Every system must have a set of procedures to follow in the event of incidents and emergencies. | | high |
| #Q026 | corrective_action | reporting | recommended | Emergency Plan Contents | drinking water | Emergency plans should include clear procedures for the remediation of the situation and communication with appropriate authorities. | | high |
| #Q027 | monitoring | operational | mandatory | Evaluation of Drinking Water Services | drinking water | Any system as large and important as delivering clean, safe and reliable drinking water requires evaluation to ensure services are being delivered as planned and expected. | | high |
| #Q028 | reporting | health | mandatory | Boil Water Advisory Notification Details | drinking water | In the area of boil water advisories, members of the public must be informed when an advisory has been issued for their community, be given detailed information about the reason(s) for the advisory (whether it is precautionary or in response to an outbreak), and be told how long it is expected to be in place. | When an advisory has been issued for the community | high |
| #Q029 | reporting | health | recommended | Advisories for Visitors | drinking water | Authorities should also consider visitors to their community when issuing an advisory - frequent advertising in highly visible areas may be prudent. | When issuing an advisory | high |
| #Q030 | reporting | health | recommended | Private Well Testing Notification | drinking water | Private well owners need to be made aware that they are responsible for the quality of their own water, and that this should be tested regularly. | | high |
| #Q031 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Jurisdictional Management Responsibility | drinking water | Each of these authorities must find ways to competently manage the water supplies in its jurisdiction. | | high |
| #Q032 | design | health | recommended | Design and Operation Objectives | drinking water | Minimum criteria for design, construction (including materials) and operation should ensure public health protection and environmental quality objectives are met. | | high |
| #Q033 | monitoring | reporting | recommended | Compliance Monitoring Accuracy | drinking water | Compliance monitoring should be carried out using various methods to ensure test results are accurate and reported properly. | | high |
| #Q034 | administrative | operational | recommended | Laboratory Selection and QA/QC Processes | drinking water | Each jurisdiction should have approval processes in place for selecting laboratories, or quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) programs, for routine testing of drinking water samples for all relevant substances, especially those which indicate the microbiological quality of drinking water. | | high |
| #Q035 | operational | operational | recommended | Operational and Plant Supervision Requirements | drinking water | operational-related monitoring requirements should be in place and clear; plants should be supervised by trained and certified operators; operator training programs should be available; facilities should be inspected on a regular basis; and administrative support should be available. | | high |
| #Q036 | administrative | operational | recommended | Water Management Activity Protocols | drinking water | Protocols should be in place for all activities, including selection of laboratories, routine monitoring, sample analysis and public notification, and may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. | | high |
| #Q037 | reporting | reporting | recommended | Monitoring Result Reporting | drinking water | Monitoring results should be reported directly to the drinking water authority as well as be available to the public. | | high |
| #Q038 | administrative | operational | recommended | Operator Certification Program Availability | drinking water | Operator certification programs should be available to ensure treatment plant operators have appropriate levels of education, experience and knowledge to allow them to competently operate the type of plant they are working in. | | high |
| #Q039 | administrative | health | recommended | Drinking Water Policy Objectives | drinking water | Policies at all levels related to the quality of drinking water should support public health goals, such as ensuring the microbiological safety of supplies. | | high |
| #Q040 | design | health | recommended | Treatment Process Selection | drinking water | Authorities making decisions about treatment processes should select those that consistently provide potable and aesthetically-acceptable water to users. | | high |
| #Q041 | administrative | health | recommended | Health-Based Funding Prioritization | drinking water | funding bodies should allocate resources along health lines: infrastructure projects that have the greatest positive health impact should be given funding priority over those that will have minimal health effects. | | high |
| #Q042 | operational | health | recommended | Local Health Research Engagement | drinking water | Jurisdictions should engage in local research to determine site specific health concerns and how research in other jurisdictions is applicable locally. | | high |
| #Q043 | corrective_action | operational | recommended | Advance Preparation of Emergency Procedures | drinking water | These procedures should be in place well in advance of any event. | Regarding incident and emergency procedures | high |
| #Q044 | operational | health | mandatory | Private Well Contamination Response and Abandonment | drinking water | Owners need to know what to do should microbiological contamination occur or chemical contaminants be found in their drinking water, and how to properly abandon wells that are no longer safe or needed. | Applies to owners of private wells or private surface water sources | high |
| #Q045 | administrative | health | mandatory | Stakeholder Cooperation for Public Health | drinking water | In order to build public confidence in the system, these stakeholders - including government departments, industry, private sector companies, non-governmental organizations and the public - must work cooperatively without losing sight of the ultimate goal: the protection of public health. | | high |
| #Q046 | reporting | health | recommended | Certified Product Procurement Advice | drinking water | Drinking water purveyors and consumers should be advised when purchasing materials that will come into contact with their drinking water (such as chemicals, plumbing materials or water filters) to buy only certified products which meet recognized health-based performance standards. | | high |
| #Q047 | reporting | reporting | guidance | Regular Drinking Water System Reporting | drinking water | Issuing regular reports about drinking water systems, including improvements and areas which need further attention | | high |
| #Q048 | administrative | health | guidance | Public Consultation in Decision-Making | drinking water | Incorporating public consultations into decision-making processes which have an effect on public health, including the development process for new guidelines and regulations | | high |
| #Q049 | administrative | operational | guidance | Water Conservation Education | drinking water | Education about water conservation issues | | high |
| #Q050 | administrative | health | recommended | Small System Amalgamation Encouragement | drinking water | For public health reasons, some small systems should be encouraged to amalgamate with municipal systems. | | high |
| #Q051 | operational | health | mandatory | Research Response Mandate | drinking water | Drinking water programs must respond to on-going research into emerging issues, with an emphasis on the microbiological quality of drinking water from source to tap. | | high |
| #Q052 | operational | operational | mandatory | Continuing Education for Drinking Water Program Staff | drinking water | It is critical for all members of a drinking water program - whether elected officials (including municipal), regulators, scientific staff, utility operators or others - to have access to continuing education in this field. | | high |
| #Q053 | reporting | health | recommended | Reporting Contact Point for Health Officers | drinking water | Ideally, the local health officer in each jurisdiction, or his or her designated official, would be one of the first points of contact for the laboratories to report any unacceptable water quality results. | When reporting unacceptable water quality results | medium |
| #Q054 | administrative | operational | recommended | Financial Assistance for Small System Amalgamation | drinking water | Municipalities willing to take on ownership of these smaller systems should have access to financial assistance. | For municipalities taking on ownership of smaller systems | high |
| #Q055 | reporting | reporting | guidance | Public Education Topics | drinking water | Educating the public on a number of issues, including: the benefits of disinfection over the risks of microbiological contamination and disease; how guidelines are developed and what the values mean; how to prevent deterioration of water quality in the home; and the true cost of providing safe drinking water | | high |
| #Q056 | operational | health | recommended | Adherence to Drinking Water Quality Guidelines | drinking water | The Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality set out the basic parameters that every water system (public, semi-public and private) should strive to achieve in order to provide the cleanest, safest and most reliable drinking water supply possible. | | high |
| #Q057 | operational | unknown | recommended | Purveyor Research Participation | drinking water | Water purveyors and public health officials play an important role in research by collecting data about their water systems and the health of the community; they should be encouraged to participate in research activities. | | high |
| #Q058 | administrative | health | recommended | Small System Funding Support | drinking water | For this reason, special consideration for additional funding support should be given to small systems in rural communities which have access to a much smaller municipal tax base than larger communities and which may not, therefore, be able to contribute their share of the capital cost of the project in question. | Applies to small systems in rural communities | high |
| #Q059 | operational | health | mandatory | Purveyor Potable Water Obligation | drinking water | the responsibility for regulatory oversight of public drinking water quality generally lies with the provincial and territorial governments, with the obligation to provide potable water resting with the purveyor. | | high |
| #Q060 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Provincial/Territorial Guideline Implementation Responsibility | drinking water | Provincial and territorial authorities are responsible for the implementation of these guidelines within their jurisdictions. | | high |