Abstract
This chapter discusses Ontario’s approach to safe drinking water through the Ontario Drinking Water Quality Standards (DWQS) . Section 4.2 provides an introduction to drinking water systems in Ontario. The purpose of Sect. 4.3 is to review the principles of watershed management in Ontario. Steps that Ontario has taken to create and implement Ontario Drinking Water Quality Standards are introduced in Sect. 4.4. Ontario’s progress report on the various legislations and regulations are then outlined. In Sect. 4.5, we assess Ontario’s Drinking Water Quality Standards and their procedures for dealing with chemicals of emerging concern such as pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products (PPCPs).
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
Office of the Auditor General of Ontario, 2014 Report, Queen’s Printer, Toronto. http://www.auditor.on.ca/en/reports_2014_en.htm. Accessed December 12, 2014.
- 2.
Thallium is currently included in the list of Chemical Standards under Safe Drinking Water Act , 2002 (O. Reg. 169/03) since December 1, 2008. For new proposals to reduce some of the MCLs in 2015, please see Chap. 9, Appendix 9.3. This will in the main bring Ontario in line the Canada Drinking Water Guidelines.
- 3.
To prevent the release of chemical substances into the Great Lakes, Annex 3 of GLWQA, “Chemicals of Mutual Concern,” outlines steps to reduce the anthropogenic release of chemicals of mutual concern to the waters of the Great Lakes by developing binational strategies.
- 4.
See, http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/spl/. Accessed November 20, 2014.
References
Arvai A, Klecka G, Jasim S, Melcer H, Laitta M (2013) Protecting our great lakes: assessing the effectiveness of wastewater treatments for the removal of chemicals of emerging concern. Water Qual Res J Can 49(1):23–31
Bhavsar S, Gewurtz S, McGoldrick D, Keir M, Backus S (2010) Changes in mercury levels in Great Lakes fish between 1970s and 2007. Environ Sci Technol 44(9):3273–3279
Bone R (2011) The regional geography of Canada, 5th edn. Oxford University Press, Don Mills Ont
Center for Disease Control, USA. “Priority list of hazardous substances”, agency for toxic substances and disease registry. http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/spl/. Accessed 20 Nov 2014
Conservation Ontario (2010). Integrated watershed management -navigating Ontario’s future: a water management framework for Ontario. http://www.conservationontario.on.ca/watershed_management/reports/IWM_WaterMgmtFramework_Final_Jun2.pdf. Accessed 20 Sept 2013
Davids J, Annis K (2006). A report on developments in water resources. McMillan Binch Mendelsohn LLP. http://www.mcmillan.ca/Files/FTT_Ontarios%20New%20Source%20Water%20Protection_0206.pdf. Accessed 20 Sept 2013
Dore M (2015) Global drinking water management and conservation: optimal decision-making. Springer International, Berlin. ISBN 978-3-319-11031-8 (Print); 978-3-319-11032-5 (Online)
Environment Canada (2013a) Great Lakes Areas of concern. Ontario region, strategic integration division, restoration programs. http://www.ec.gc.ca/raps-pas/default.asp?lang=En&n=A290294A-1. Accessed 11 Feb 2014
Environment Canada (2013b) Canada-Ontario agreement respecting the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem. http://www.ec.gc.ca/grandslacs-greatlakes/default.asp?lang=En&n=B903EE0D-1. Accessed 11 Feb 2014
Environment Canada (2013c). Great Lakes. http://www.ec.gc.ca/grandslacs-greatlakes/default.asp?lang=En&n=B903EE0D-1. Accessed 11 Feb 2014
Environment Canada (2013d). National pollutant release inventory, science & technology branch, Pollution Data Division. http://www.ec.gc.ca/inrp-npri/. Accessed 11 Feb 2014
Holtz S (2006) There Is No “Away”–pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and endocrine-disrupting substances: emerging contaminants detected in water. canadian institute for environmental law and policy. http://www.cielap.org/pdf/NoAway.pdf. Accessed 27 Sept 2013
International Joint Commission (2009). Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement 2007–2009 Priority Work Group Final Report on Chemicals of Emerging Concern. Windsor, Ontario: International Joint Commission
International Joint Commission (2011). Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement 2009–2011 Priority Cycle Report. Windsor, Ontario: International Joint Commission
Klecka G, Persoon C, Currie R (2010) Chemicals of emerging concern in the Great Lakes Basin: an analysis of environmental exposures. Rev Environ Contam Toxicol 27:1–93
Li H, Helm P, Metcalfe C (2010) Sampling in the Great Lakes for pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and endocrine-disrupting substances using the passive polar organic chemical integrative sampler. Environ Toxicol Chem 29(4):751–762
Lubliner B, Redding M, Ragsdale D (2010) Pharmaceuticals and personal care products in municipal wastewater and their removal by nutrient treatment technologies. Washington State Department of Ecology, Olympia, WA. Publication Number 10-03-004. www.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/1003004.html. Accessed 2 Dec 2014 from https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/publications/1003004.pdf
Mohapatra S, Mitchell A (2003). Drinking water quality standards in Ontario—are they tough? Canadian institute for environmental law and policy. http://cielap.org/pdf/drinkingwaterstandards.pdf. Accessed 10 Feb 2014
Molot L, Clark K, Molnar D, Henderson J, Greatorex J (2001) Liquid assets—monitoring water quality in Ontario. Toronto: York University & Canadian Institute for environmental law and policy. http://cielap.org/pdf/waterreport.pdf. Accessed 2 July 2014
O’Connor D (2002) Report of the Walkerton inquiry: a strategy for safe drinking water (Part 2). Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General. http://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/about/pubs/walkerton/part2/. Accessed 10 Feb 2014
Ontario Environmental Protection Act (1990). http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90e19_e.ht. Accessed 2 July 2014
Ontario Ministry of the Environment (2002), Statement to the legislature by the honourable Chris Stockwell, minister of the environment introducing the safe drinking water act, 2002, Queen’s Park, Toronto. http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/envision/news/2002/102901s.htm. Accessed 10 Feb 2014
Ontario Ministry of the Environment (2009). Complying with environmental legislation on farms. http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/stdprodconsume/groups/lr/@ene/@resources/documents/resource/std01_079208.pdf. Accessed 24 Sept 2013. Accessed 10 Feb 2014
Ontario Ministry of the Environment (2010). Strategies for minimizing the disinfection byproducts: Trihalomethanes and Haloacetic acids. http://www.ontario.ca/environment-and-energy/strategies-minimizing-disinfection-products-trihalomethanes-and-haloacetic. Accessed 6 July 2014
Ontario Ministry of the Environment (2012). Minister’s annual report on drinking water 2012 http://www.ontario.ca/environment-and-energy/ministers-annual-report-drinking-water-2012. Accessed 10 Feb 2014
Ontario Ministry of the Environment (2013a). Water quality in Ontario 2012 report. http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/environment/en/. Accessed 10 Feb 2014
Ontario Ministry of the Environment (2013b) Annual report 2010–2011: Chief drinking water inspector. http://www.unionwater.ca/Areas/Custom/ContentFiles/2011%20%202012%20CDWI%20Report.pdf. Accessed 10 Feb 2014
Ontario Ministry of the Environment (2014). Nutrient management on farms. http://www.ontario.ca/environment-and-energy/nutrient-management-farms. Accessed 2 July 2014
Ontario Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002-O. Reg. 169/03 (2003) http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/regs/english/elaws_regs_030169_e.htm. Accessed 2 July 2014
Region of Peel (2012). South Peel drinking water system—water quality report 2012. www.peelregion.ca/pw/water/quality/reports/2012/Brampton-Mississauga-South-Caledon-Report-2012.pdf. Accessed 3 June 2014
Ritter L (2002) Sources, pathways, and relative risks of contaminants in surface water and groundwater: a perspective prepared for the Walkerton inquiry. J Toxicol Environ Health Part A 65(1):1–142
Service Ontario (2002). Nutrient management act (S.O. 2002, Chap. 4). http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_02n04_e.htm. Accessed 2 July 2014
Service Ontario (2006). Clean water act (S.O. 2006, Chap.22). http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_06c22_e.htm. Accessed 2 July 2014
Service Ontario (2010). Water opportunities and conservation act (S.O. 2010, Chap.19). http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/source/statutes/english/2010/elaws_src_s10019_e.htm. Accessed 2 July 2014
Servos MR, Smith M, McInnis R, Burnison K, Lee BH, Backus S (2007) The presence of selected pharmaceuticals and personal care products in drinking water in Ontario, Canada. Water Qual Res J Can 42(2):130–137
Statistics Canada (2013). Survey of drinking water plants. http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/bsolc/olc-cel/olc-cel?catno=16-403-X&lang=eng. Accessed 28 Jan 2014
Stephenson R, Oppenheimer J (2007) Fate of pharmaceuticals and personal care products through municipal wastewater treatment processes. WERF Report 03-CTS 22UR. Water Environment Research Foundation, Alexandria, VA
Trojan Technologies (2010). On demand taste and odor treatment Neshaminy Falls WTP, Pennsylvania, USA, Trojan Case Studies. http://trojanuv.com/resources/trojanuv/casestudies/ECT/ECT_CaseStudy_Neshaminy_FINAL.pdf. Accessed 14 Feb 2014
USEPA (US Environmental Protection Agency) (2007) Application of watershed ecological risk assessment methods to watershed management. National Center for Environmental Assessment, Washington, DC; EPA/600/R-06/037F. Available from National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA, and online at http://www.epa.gov/ncea. Accessed 20 Sept 2013
Whitney M (2007). Hazardous waste in Ontario progress and challenges. Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy. http://www.cielap.org/pdf/HazWaste2007.pdf. Accessed 2 July 2014
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Dore, M.H. (2015). Water Policy in Ontario. In: Water Policy in Canada. Springer Water. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15883-9_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15883-9_4
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-15882-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-15883-9
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)