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Document ID ca-wata-2024-09-05 Title Water Talk - Enteric protozoa (Giardia and Cryptosporidium) in drinking water URL https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/environmental-workplace-health/reports-publications/water-quality/water-talk-protoza-giardia-cryptosporidium-drinking-water.html Jurisdiction /ca Subdomain(s) Drinking water, Microbiology, Standards and regulations, Treatment and distribution Language en Status completed Analyzed at 2026-03-16 07:40:03.801742+00:00 Relevance Summarizes treatment goals and standards for Giardia and Cryptosporidium.

Q Qualitative Requirements (16)

Req ID Category Intent Legal Status Name Subdomain(s) Context Conditions Confidence
#Q001monitoringhealthmandatoryWell monitoring for feces contamination riskdrinking waterIf you have a well, it needs to be carefully monitored to make sure it is not at risk of contamination from feces.If you have a wellhigh
#Q002monitoringhealthrecommendedGroundwater source assessmentdrinking waterGroundwater sources should be carefully assessed to determine whether the supply is at risk of contamination by enteric protozoa.Applies to groundwater sourceshigh
#Q003reportinghealthmandatoryPublic drinking water boil advisorydrinking waterIf there is reason to believe that Giardia or Cryptosporidium is in a public drinking water supply an advisory will be put out to the community to boil the water before drinking it.If there is reason to believe that Giardia or Cryptosporidium is in a public drinking water supplyhigh
#Q004monitoringhealthguidancePrivate well laboratory testing guidancedrinking waterIf you have a private well, laboratory tests are not recommended because testing to detect Giardia or Cryptosporidium is difficult and expensive.If you have a private wellhigh
#Q005treatmenthealthrecommendedContaminated water boiling requirementdrinking waterIf your water is contaminated by feces, you should boil all the water you use for: drinking, brushing teeth, washing fruits and vegetables, preparing food, hot and cold beverages and ice cubesIf your water is contaminated by feceshigh
#Q006operationalhealthguidanceBoiling tap water exemptiondrinking waterYou don’t need to boil your tap water when you use it for other household purposes, such as bathing, showering, laundry, or washing dishes.For general household purposeshigh
#Q007operationalhealthrecommendedSponge bathing recommendationdrinking waterInfants, toddlers and people with compromised immune systems should be sponge bathed to reduce the chance of swallowing contaminated water.When tap water is contaminatedhigh
#Q008treatmenthealthguidanceMunicipal water additional treatment exemptiondrinking waterConsumers don’t need any additional treatment for Giardia and Cryptosporidium for drinking water supplied by a municipality.When drinking water is supplied by a municipalityhigh
#Q009designtreatmentrecommendedFilter standardsdrinking waterFilters you use should meet one of the following NSF/ANSI Standards: Standard 53, Standard 58, Standard 62If using filters for well water treatmenthigh
#Q010designtreatmentrecommendedUV disinfection standardsdrinking waterUV disinfection treatment units you use should meet NSF/ANSI Standard 55 Class A.If using UV disinfection treatment units for well waterhigh
#Q011treatmenttreatmentrecommendedPre-filtration for cloudy waterdrinking waterIf the water is cloudy, it should be filtered first.Prior to UV disinfection if water is cloudyhigh
#Q012designtreatmentmandatoryTreatment device certification requirementdrinking waterMake sure that any device you buy is: certified by the NSF International/American National Standard Institute (NSF/ANSI) for cyst removal (look at the box or label)When buying a water treatment devicehigh
#Q013operationaltreatmentmandatoryTreatment device installation and maintenance requirementdrinking waterMake sure that any device you buy is: installed and maintained (or replaced) according to the instructions provided by the manufacturerWhen buying and using a water treatment devicehigh
#Q014treatmenthealthrecommendedHealth-based treatment goal for enteric protozoadrinking waterIf there is a risk of enteric protozoa being present in sources of water, it should be treated to filter or disinfect at least 99.9% of the Giardia and Cryptosporidium.If there is a risk of enteric protozoa being present in sources of waterhigh
#Q015reportingreportingmandatoryOutbreak information communication dutydrinking waterIn the case of a disease outbreak, municipal, provincial or territorial authorities will provide more information.In the case of a disease outbreakhigh
#Q016corrective_actionhealthrecommendedHealthcare consultation for suspected illnessdrinking waterIf you have diarrhea and think that it is because of Giardia or Cryptosporidium , you should consult your healthcare provider and mention that you may have been in contact with water or food that could be contaminated.If you have diarrhea and suspect it is due to Giardia or Cryptosporidiumhigh

P Quantitative Requirements (1)

Req ID Category Intent Legal Status Name Subdomain(s) Limit Type Limit Value Context Conditions Confidence
#P001microbiologicaltreatmentrecommendedGiardia and Cryptosporidium reductiondrinking watertreatment_goal>= 99.9 %Health-based treatment goal for enteric protozoa in drinking water. Should be treated to filter or disinfect at least 99.9% of the Giardia and Cryptosporidium.If there is a risk of enteric protozoa being present in sources of waterhigh

D Definitions (5)

Req ID Category Name Context Confidence
#D001UVultraviolethigh
#D002NSF/ANSINSF International/American National Standard Institutehigh
#D003Enteric protozoatiny parasites that can infect the gut of humans and other mammals and cause illnesshigh
#D004giardiasisan intestinal illness, sometimes referred to as “beaver fever”high
#D005cryptosporidiosisa similar illnesshigh