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A municipal drinking water system is owned by and/or supplies water to a municipality. These systems are regulated by the Ministry of the Environment.
There are approximately 665 municipal residential drinking water systems registered with the ministry that supply drinking water to more than 80 per cent of the homes in Ontario.
Owners and operators of municipal systems must ensure their systems—and the water their systems provide—meet the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act.
The act requires every owner and operator to ensure:
- their system’s water satisfies Ontario’s Drinking Water Quality Standards
- anyone who operates, or works on, their system is properly trained and licensed
- drinking water tests are performed by licensed, accredited laboratories
- adverse test results are reported to the ministry and the local medical officer of health
- and more.
Visit the municipalities section of our online resource library for a complete collection of resources.
If you have questions about your responsibilities, the drinking water help line is open Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 1-866-793-2588.
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