Alberta Environment and Protected Areas’ Drinking Water Program

Alberta Environment and Protected Areas ensures safe drinking water by:

• setting standards
• approving waterworks systems
• promoting best practices and providing education
• training and certifying operators
• monitoring performance
• inspecting facilities
• enforcing facility approvals
• enforcing legislation

Environment and Protected Areas uses a multi-barrier approach to ensure that safe drinking water is provided to all Albertans. This method is referred to as a ‘Source to Tap’ approach, referring to the continuum of processes to treat the water between the water source and your drinking water tap. Processes can include everything mitigating potential impacts to the raw water source to chemical treatments and filtration.

Barriers may be physical or administrative in nature. A physical barrier is a material object that impedes or separates; a filter is an example of a physical barrier. Physical barriers are quantitative in nature and allow for an assessment of tangible measurable results. An administrative barrier is more conceptual and more difficult to quantify. For example, the cumulative effect that development (such as residential, commercial, industrial, forestry and agricultural activities) has on a watershed can dramatically impact water quality. Source protection planning is an example of an administrative approach. It identifies risks and hazards impacting raw water supplies and allows for more informed decision-making with regard to activities and development and lowers the risk of potential adverse impacts.

Monitoring Reports:

Environment and Protected Areas receives annual reports from drinking water facility owners and operators facilities. In addition, facilities collect monthly reporting data summarizing the results of their drinking water quality testing.

Environment and Protected Areas is working with facilities to have all monthly reports available electronically, and to provide public access to this data. This website provides access to all of the monthly reports that Environment and Protected Areas is currently receiving through electronic reporting. Reports that are not currently available on this website can be obtained by contacting Environment and Protected Areas’ Regional Offices.

Inspections:

Facilities are inspected to ensure they meet the requirements of their Environment and Protected Areas approvals or registrations. This website contains information gathered during the most recent inspection at each treatment facility.

The frequency of inspections is dependent on the nature of the water supply for the waterworks system. At a minimum, facilities with a surface water source are inspected annually, while facilities with a high quality groundwater source are inspected every two years.

Inspection Outcomes:

Following an inspection, a number of steps may be taken. If at any time the Environment and Protected Areas inspector identifies an issue that may adversely impact health, the local health authority is notified immediately. Other issues may be referred to department staff for their involvement. For example, where the inspector identifies an opportunity for a facility to optimize performance, an Environment and Protected Areas Drinking Water Operations Specialist may be called in to help.