Chief Medical Health Officer charts course for improved drinking water
December 2, 2014
VANCOUVER ISLAND—Island Health Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Richard Stanwick has released a Medical Health Officer’s Drinking Water Report 2014. The report measures progress towards ensuring that all residents and visitors receive drinking water from supply systems throughout the region that meet North American expectations for water quality.
“The success of our drinking water program relies on public health staff and drinking water providers who apply their expertise to addressing local drinking water issues,” Stanwick noted in the report.
“The consequences of failing to ensure high quality water are always on the minds of those whose role it is to protect this precious resource,” he added.
The report makes 32 recommendations to ensure quality of drinking water — addressing health protection at all stages from the source of the water to the tap. The report also acknowledges the wide range in the size of water systems from wells that are shared by a few families to large operations that serve the Island’s cities and surrounding communities.
Within the Island Health region, at least 898 water supply systems are known to be operating. Island Health has 24 water supply systems serving greater than 5,000 persons every day. These systems serve a total of 706,280 persons. About 150,000 people are supplied by 874 water supply systems serving less than 5,000 persons per day.
“This report charts a foundational baseline of current infrastructure and helps us understand our water system needs going forward” said Dr. Paul Hasselback, Medical Health Officer. “It is important that people know and understand where their water comes from and how it is treated.”
The challenges facing water system in meeting microbial, chemical and physical requirements are acknowledged and detailed in this report as well as the challenges faced by the smaller systems on the Island in meeting water quality expectations.
“Through education, cooperative engagement/mentoring and occasional enforcement, our team is fulfilling the mandate for ensuring residents receive quality, safe, reliable drinking water,” Stanwick noted. “Island Health will continue to work with water system operators and the public to maintain and improve our drinking water in the Island Health region.”
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Access a full copy of report.
South Island Media Inquiries
Sarah Plank
Media Relations Manager
Phone: 250.727.4275
Email: sarah.plank@viha.ca
Central and North Island Media Inquiries
Val Wilson
Regional Communications Manager
Phone: 250.739.6303
Email: valerie.wilson@viha.ca
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