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Municipal Drinking Water System – legislative requirements

Updated July 2019

The Region of Peel is committed to supplying safe and clean drinking water that meets all applicable legislative and regulatory requirements to the consumer, and is committed to the maintenance and continual improvement of the Quality Management System.

Drinking Water Quality Management in Peel

As a stakeholder (developer, land owner, consultant or contractor) working on infrastructure that is part of, or will become part of, the Region of Peel’s municipal drinking water system, this document serves to inform you of applicable provincial legislative and regulatory requirements in accordance with the municipal drinking water licensing program approvals framework.

Statutory obligations

The Region of Peel (the Region) operates its drinking water systems in compliance with provincial legislation, including the Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002 (the Act) and its supporting regulations. The Act is the principal legislation regulating the treatment and distribution of drinking water in Ontario; imposing a statutory Standard of Care for system owners and operating bodies, defining water quality standards, operator training and certification, accreditation and licensing of water system operating authorities and water testing laboratories, water sampling, testing and monitoring requirements, adverse water quality reporting and corrective actions as well as water system inspections and enforcement by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (the Ministry).

Municipal Drinking Water Licensing Program

The Municipal Drinking Water Licensing Program, implemented by the Ministry under the Act, requires municipal drinking water systems owners to be licensed to operate and operating authorities to establish and maintain a Quality Management System (QMS) accredited to the Drinking Water Quality Management Standard (DWQMS). The Region is a full scope DWQMS accredited operating authority and has successfully maintained this status since first awarded in 2011.

The Municipal Drinking Water Licence (MDWL) is comprised of five components:

Responsibilities and duties

Drinking water system operation, maintenance and alteration are governed by the MDWL and DWWP conditions, applicable acts, regulations, codes of practice, and industry standards. These requirements place responsibilities on the Region and they are relevant to all water infrastructure projects and vary depending on the scope of work. The legal owner of any part of the drinking water system, or any person authorized to carry out work on the drinking water system, is expected to comply with the QMS and with the following:

The appropriate approvals must be in place prior to commencement of work to construct or to alter the drinking water system. The Region has the authority to approve most of the system alteration projects through the DWWP by completing the Ministry mandated forms (Form 1, Form 2 and Form 3).

Where works cannot be approved by the Region, a formal application for approval to the Ministry must be submitted and approval received prior to commencement of work to construct or to alter the drinking water system. Amendments to the Region’s drinking water approvals must be made in direct consultation with the Region’s staff.

Quality Management System

The Region has implemented a Quality Management System (QMS) for its drinking water systems. This ensures the policies and procedures are in place to effectively manage the drinking water operations, continuously test and check and make improvements to all aspects of water treatment and distribution, from source to tap.

The Region’s commitment to drinking water quality is summarized in the QMS policy below:

The Region delivers on its commitments by ensuring quality and integrity of supplies and services acquired. All purchasing is in accordance with the Region’s Purchasing By-laws, supplemented with internal procedures that outline resources that are necessary for the delivery of safe drinking water. The Region’s expectations on quality of products and service delivery are communicated through tender documentation, purchasing agreements and contracts. Performance of vendors retained by the Region is monitored and evaluated through a Vendor Satisfaction Survey to ensure that goods and services comply with established requirements.

Disclaimer

While efforts have been made to ensure accuracy and completeness, this document provides an overview of legal requirements and is intended for general guidance on approvals provisions and does not replace or supersede provincial legislation, applicable regulations, licenses, or permits. Since these requirements are subject to change, please check back periodically for updates.

The Region of Peel’s QMS does not change or impact current contracts and agreements. It conveys the commitment to quality; safe drinking water supply and your support is required by supporting this commitment with your high-quality standards.

More information on the precise duties governing drinking water system owners and operating authorities can be found at the Ministry website. Copies of licences and permits referenced in this document may be obtained from the Region of Peel upon request. Any queries regarding this document should be raised with the Region’s Water and Wastewater Regulatory Compliance staff by email or telephone at 905-791-7800, ext. 4685.