Drinking Water Quality Improvement Projects

As part of the studies conducted under the Drinking Water Quality Improvement Initiative, several tools have been developed to help improve drinking water quality and reduce the number of Boil Water Advisories (BWAs) in the province.  The tools developed will help communities identify appropriate corrective measures to address water quality issues.

Boil Water Advisories

  1. BWA System Assessment Tool
  2. Standard Operating Procedures for the Reduction of BWAs in Newfoundland and Labrador
    1. Link to Report
    2. Link to SOPs
  3. Preventative Maintenance Checklists, Logs and Forms
    1. Maintenance Forms 
    2. Daily Logs
  4. Disinfection Presentations
    1. Public and Community Members
    2. Disinfection System Operators
  5. Fact Sheets
    1. Disinfection
    2. Microbiological Parameters
    3. Chemical Parameters
    4. Physical Parameters
    5. Disinfection By Products
    6. Operator Education Opportunities

Full Cost Accounting Assessment Tool

Developed under the Drinking Water Quality Improvement Initiative, the Full Cost Accounting Assessment Tool helps communities understand the true cost of operating and upgrading their drinking water systems. It supports planning for sustainable water taxes by analyzing current expenses and forecasting future costs. While it doesn’t include non-operating costs like debt servicing, it provides a practical framework for budgeting and decision-making, especially for small systems.

    1. Assessment Tool
    2. User Manual
    3. Small System Questionnaire Form
    4. Instruction Video

Drinking Water Treatment

Drinking water treatment in Newfoundland and Labrador follows Health Canada’s Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality, which include Maximum Acceptable Concentrations (MACs) for health-related contaminants and Aesthetic Objectives (AOs) for taste, odour, and appearance. Treatment systems across the province vary widely, from conventional filtration and chlorination to advanced membrane technologies and ozone-based systems. Rural communities often face additional challenges due to limited resources, aging infrastructure, and access to certified operators. The Water Treatment and Service Delivery Assessment Tool supports treatment by analyzing water quality data and providing centralized and decentralized treatment options, including capital and operation and maintenance costs. The Contaminant Exceedance Assessment Tool identifies treatment options for manganese, arsenic, and lead.

  1. Water Treatment and Service Delivery Assessment Tool
  2. Contaminant Exceedance Assessment Tool
    1. Manganese (Mn) and Arsenic (As)
    2. Lead (PB)

 

Standard Operating Procedures

SOP# BWA Reason Code BWA Reason Code Description
1 A Water supply has no disinfection system
2 B1 Chlorination system is turned off by the operator, due to taste or other aesthetic conditions
3 B2 Chlorination system is turned off by the operator, due to perceived health risks
4 B3 Chlorination system is turned off by the operator, due to lack of funds to operate
5 C1 Disinfection system is off due to maintenance or mechanical failure
6 C2 Disinfection system is off due to lack of chlorine or other disinfectant
7 D1 Water distribution system is undergoing maintenance or repairs
8 D2 A cross connection is discovered in the distribution system
9 D3 Inadequately treated water was introduced into the system due to fire flows, flushing operations, interconnections, minor power outage or other pressure loss
10 E1 Water entering the distribution system or facility, after a minimum 20 minute contact time does not have a free chlorine residual of at least 0.3 mg/L or equivalent CT value
11 E2 No free chlorine residual detected in the water distribution system
12 E3 Insufficient residual disinfectant in water system primarily disinfected by means other than chlorination
13 F3 Total coliforms detected and confirmed in repeat sample
14 F2E Escherichia coli (E.coli) detected and repeat samples cannot be taken as required
F4 Escherichia coli (E.coli) detected in an initial sample(s) is considered extensive and the water system has other known problems
F5 Escherichia coli (E.coli) detected and confirmed in repeat sample
15 F6 Viruses detected (ex. Hepatitis A, Norwalk)
16 F7 Protozoa detected (ex. Giardia, Cryptosporidium)
17 G Water supply system integrity compromised due to disaster (ex. Contamination of water source from flooding, gross contamination, major power failures, etc.)
18 H Waterborne disease outbreak in the community