 Asset Publisher Tapping into Ontario's Drinking Water Program2003-07-28
When Canadians turn on their taps, they expect clear, clean, safe drinking water. It isn't too much to expect, assuming that the infrastructure to support healthy water resources is securely in place. Two years ago in Ontario, that assumption was challenged when the Walkerton tragedy took the lives of seven people and caused 2,300 to become seriously ill. The contamination of an Ontario municipal water system with a deadly strain of e-coli bacteria brought some important issues to the forefront. Mandatory accreditation for water-testing laboratories was instituted and a public inquiry into the events leading up to the Walkerton incident was held. More recently, the Ontario government drafted and tabled a Safe Drinking Water Act. The Act, which was open to comment and public consultation, is representative of the Ontario government's continued commitment to protecting the health and safety of its residents and will strengthen the SCC-CAEAL accreditation program's ability to work even more closely with the government. "The Standards Council of Canada and its partner CAEAL applaud the Ontario government's commitment to building a more robust system to protect the safety of drinking water for all Ontarians," commented Peter Clark, Executive Director of the Standards Council of Canada (SCC). In Ontario, legislation (O.Reg 459/00) has already been introduced making accreditation-independent verification of a laboratory's competence to conduct specific tests accurately and reliably-mandatory in order for these labs to receive licensing. In Canada, more than 350 labs are accredited by the Standards Council of Canada's PALCAN program. In partnership with the Canadian Association for Environmental Analytical Laboratories (CAEAL), the Standards Council has established a rigorous program for the accreditation of environmental testing laboratories. In fact, on the topic of the SCC/CAEAL program, Justice Denis O'Connor, head of the Walkerton inquiry, stated that he "was impressed by the thoroughness of the verification process and the capacity to identify areas for improvement at individual laboratories." -Part Two, Report of the Walkerton Commission of Inquiry, Chapter 9, p.268. The SCC/CAEAL program is an effective vehicle for the Ontario government to implement components of its proposed legislation in a cost-effective manner. Leveraging the expertise of the Standards Council and CAEAL in proficiency testing and quality management is a gainful means of ensuring that the infrastructure to support healthy water resources is maintained. "The province can continue to rely on the SCC/CAEAL program to satisfy the comprehensive requirements of the Ontario Ministry of the Environment," added Peter Clark, SCC Executive Director. "We have been adding new features to our programs and remain committed to working along with provincial authorities to prevent anything like Walkerton from ever happening again." - 30 - Web Links: For more information contact: Standards Council of Canada NOTE: News articles and features that have been archived contain information that was accurate at the time of publication but which has not been updated or revised since, and which may not reflect the latest developments on the topic. If you have specific questions or concerns about the content, please contact the Standards Council of Canada. |
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