Changes to the Drinking Water Protection Regulation affect training requirements for Small Water System operators
Definition of Small Water System (as defined in Schedule 1 of the Dec 8th, 2005 amendment to the Drinking Water Protection Regulation):
- A water system that serves up to 500 individuals during any 24 hour period.
Section 4 of the December 8th, 2005 amendment also states that:
- All water supply systems, except small systems, are prescribed for the purposes of Section 9 of the Act.
Section 9 of the Act speaks to the standards for persons operating water systems. The amendment therefore eliminates the legal requirement for purveyors of small water systems to have a certified Operator.
Previous to the amendments all small systems required certified operators and due to the large numbers of systems and the practical difficulties experienced by small water systems to hire certified operators the amendments provided relief.
However, a Drinking Water Officer (DWO) can and may require the purveyor of a small water system to have a certified Operator if the Officer deems it to be necessary. The DWO has discretion to decide the type of training or knowledge that an operator must have before operating a water system. A distinction may be made between certified and suitably trained and be made part of the terms and conditions of an operating permit.
In summary, there currently is NOT a requirement for small water systems to have a certified Operator unless the Drinking Water Officer or the Operating Permit specifically requires such.
