cover image: Safe Drinking Water Act - Standard of Care - City of Brantford Council

20.500.12592/0b1t9n

Safe Drinking Water Act - Standard of Care - City of Brantford Council

5 Apr 2023

Focus on Safe Drinking Water Act Section 19 4 Drinking Water Judicial Inquiries • Walkerton tragedy 2000; Inquiry held and released two reports into causation and a series of preventative recommendations • A series of causes including lack of oversight; operator malfeasance; lack of understanding of the risks; unusually fierce storm; location of nearby agricultural operation; non- operation of chl. [...] Over the long term, safety depends on stable and adequate financing to maintain the water system infrastructure and its operational capacity to supply high-quality water consistently.” • Justice Dennis O’Connor, 2002, Report of the Walkerton Inquiry Financial Plans are a pre-requisite to a Municipal Drinking Water System licence Requirements responded to Justice O’Connor’s recommendations that. [...] 16 Who is Subject to Obligation of standard of care Listed persons are: • The owner of the municipal drinking water system • Every officer and director of a corporation • In a municipality, every person who oversees the accredited operating authority of the system or exercises decision- making authority Photo: Ajman Ladher 17 Main compliance issues in Ontario last year • The 2021-22 Chief Drinking. [...] 453/07: Financial Plans Photo: Breanne Finnigan 19 Provincial Guide Top Messages: Photo: Rick Lindgren 20 Enforcement of the standard of care under Safe Drinking Water Act A person may be convicted under the SDWA for failure to meet the standard of care, whether or not the owner of the system is prosecuted or convicted However it is important to note that counsellors can rely in good faith on prof. [...] 21 Conclusion • As recommended in the Walkerton Inquiry Report, a multi-barrier approach with oversight and checks and balances is essential in order that the public have full confidence in the safety of their tap water • The laws and regulations work together to provide that confidence to the public.

Authors

April Weppler

Pages
23
Published in
Canada