Drinking water monitoring
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Indigenous Services Canada's role
We support clean, safe, reliable drinking water by:
- regularly monitoring all drinking water systems where the public has access
- providing residents, upon request and free of charge, bacteriological testing services of their well water
- reviewing plans and providing advice from a public health perspective for new and upgraded water treatment systems
Through our Community-based Water Monitor Program, we:
- provide funds to chiefs and councils for bacteriological drinking water monitoring
- train community-based drinking water quality monitors to sample and test the drinking water for potential bacteriological contamination as a final check of the drinking water at tap
The Community-based Water Monitor Program is particularly important in places where it is difficult or impossible to:
- sample and test on a regular basis
- get the samples to a laboratory in a timely manner
If a First Nations community does not have a water quality monitor, an Environmental Public Health Officer (EPHO) can do the sampling and testing. An EPHO is a certified public health inspector hired by Indigenous Services Canada or by First Nations partners.
Environmental Public Health Officers:
- test drinking water for contaminants that are:
- physical
- chemical
- radiological
- maintain quality assurance and control
- review and interpret drinking water quality tests
- share the test results with First Nations communities
- advise the chief and council on what actions to take, such as issuing a drinking water advisory, when drinking water is not safe
In the case of a drinking water advisory, we:
- help with follow up sampling and investigation to find the source of the problem
- provide recommendations on how to fix the problem to:
- the chief and council
- federal partners if necessary
If an immediate threat to the health and safety of the community is identified, it is the chief and council's responsibility to take necessary action to protect residents.
Groundwater and well water
Chlorination and drinking water disinfection
Contact us
You may contact us by email at drinkingwater-eaupotable@sac-isc.gc.ca.