Action Plan For Safe Drinking Water In British Columbia

Drinking water quality is a public health issue. In 2003, the Drinking Water Protection Act came into force and designated the Ministry of Health as the lead agency for drinking water issues within the province of British Columbia. This report outlines the provincial government's, health authorities' and water suppliers' activities and accomplishments during the 2005/2006 and 2006/2007 fiscal years. This report includes the background information on how the Drinking Water Protection Act is administered in BC. It places the activities, progress and accomplishments of the provincial government, health authorities and water suppliers during this period. It also sets the foundation for future accountability reporting, building on an accountability framework developed by the Auditor General and making a series of recommendations to help guide planning and future activities.--Includes text from document.

This book deals with the water policy and management in Canada. It discusses various problems and risks in the fresh and drinking water supply in the second largest country in the world. Mohammed Dore argues that water is underpriced and used wastefully in Canada. In selected case studies, he illustrates the major threats from human activity to Canadian freshwaters and drinking water resources, including manufacturing, mining, oil sands production, animal farming and agricultural use. Selected case studies include reviews of even dramatic incidences, e.g. the Walkerton tragedy of 2000, when 7 people were killed and 200 went onto permanent dialysis treatment because of water contamination with harmful pathogens. The book warns that wastewater treatment standards are often not sufficient, so that many drinking water resources are in peril of wastewater contamination. As most of the water resources are provincial responsibility, the book discusses the water management policies in the different provinces separately. Through a detailed discussion and statistical analyses, it can define water policy and management lessons that emerge from the investigated case studies. It ends by contrasting water policy and practice in Canada with the practice in some European countries.