News Release

For immediate release
June 26, 2009

Ontario’s Drinking Water Is High Quality
McGuinty Government Receives Chief Drinking Water Inspector’s Annual Report

NEWS

Ontario’s rigorous drinking water safeguards are working.

The province’s Chief Drinking Water Inspector’s fourth annual report, which covers the period of April 1, 2007 to March 31, 2008, provides an overview of the state of Ontario’s drinking water.   It describes the results of drinking water quality tests, inspections of drinking water systems and the performance of regulated systems.

Findings show results of drinking water tests met Ontario’s strict water quality standards, including:

• 99.85 per cent of tests at municipal residential drinking water systems
• 99.39 per cent of tests at systems serving designated facilities such as children’s camps, day care centres, schools or health care facilities
• 99.40 per cent of tests at private systems serving residential developments such as trailer parks.

For the first time, the report provides test results for lead in drinking water in schools, day nurseries and communities. It also reports on the ministry’s actions to protect source water, enforce regulatory requirements, certify and train operators, and educate owners and operators.

QUOTES

“I am pleased to receive the Chief Drinking Water Inspector’s 2007-08 annual report.  It confirms that Ontario’s drinking water continues to meet high standards and Ontarians can be confident that the water they drink is well protected.”

— John Gerretsen, Minister of the Environment

“The ministry and our partners share a common commitment to excellence through continuous improvement.  We will continue to work together to help keep Ontario’s drinking water safe.”

— John Stager, Chief Drinking Water Inspector

QUICK FACTS

• The ministry inspected all 697 municipal residential drinking water systems in 2007-08.
• The ministry conducted 114 inspections at 56 laboratories licensed to perform drinking water testing during 2007-08, including 53 unannounced inspections.
• More than 520,000 drinking water tests from municipal residential drinking water systems were analyzed by licensed laboratories in 2007-08.
  

LEARN MORE

Read more about the Chief Drinking Water Inspector’s 2007-08 annual report

About drinking water quality in your community.

About how you can help protect the source of your drinking water.

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Contacts:	Contact information for the general public:
John Karapita, Minister’s Office, 416-314-6736 Kate Jordan, Ministry of the Environment, 416-314-6666	416-325-4000 or 1-800-565-4923/ www.ontario.ca/environment

 

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