2005 September Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development

Developing the Guidelines for Canadians Drinking Water Quality

4.22 Health Canada should set clear internal timelines for the development and review of drinking water guidelines and should continue to work with the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Committee to develop options to accelerate the process of approval of these guidelines. Factors impeding the approval and publication of guidelines should be made fully transparent to Canadians. (4.19–4.21)

Health Canada has streamlined the guideline development process over the past two years to meet a target of developing between five and seven guidelines per year. This is based on a timeline of two to three years required to develop, review, and approve a guideline, and on the increased number of scientists currently conducting evaluations. A range, rather than a fixed length, of time is appropriate as there are many factors that influence the time needed to complete a guideline (for example, single or multiple forms of a particular contaminant, limited or many potential health implications, and single or multiple exposure pathways). A multi-year work plan that reflects the two to three-year timeline for developing individual guidelines will be prepared for approval of the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Committee on Drinking Water.

The streamlined process also includes measures already being implemented to accelerate the approval process. These measures focus on the defining of milestones and targets for all guidelines being assessed, development and implementation of standard operating procedures and best practices, ongoing communication between committee members to ensure early identification and resolution of concerns, and approvals of guidelines outside of regularly scheduled committee meetings. Health Canada will monitor this process and propose changes, if necessary, to ensure timely development and approval of guidelines.

In addition, the status of guidelines under development, including reasons for any delays, such as new information (scientific, technological) or the need to develop and apply new methodology in the risk assessment, will be posted on the Health Canada Web site.

4.31 Health Canada should produce and implement a work plan to address the backlog of about 50 drinking water guidelines that may need to be updated to reflect current science, clearly indicating which guidelines are to be reviewed, their priority ranking, revision targets, and related timelines. (4.27–4.30)

In 2004, Health Canada completed a comprehensive review of all the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality, regardless of the age of the guidelines and including those developed over 15 years ago (referred to as backlog). This process has identified the existing guidelines requiring revision, and priorities for developing new and existing guidelines will be defined based on risk to public health, rather than on the age of a guideline. This comprehensive review will be conducted biennially to identify guidelines to be revised.

Over half of the guidelines older than 15 years have been reaffirmed, as they are protective of human health. The list of reaffirmed guidelines will be posted on the Department's Web site, along with a list of guidelines that are candidates for revision.

The remaining guidelines older than 15 years and other more recent guidelines are either scheduled for revision in the current work plan or will be considered for revision in a multi-year work plan to be developed and approved by the Federal-Provincial- Territorial Committee on Drinking Water.

Federal compliance with the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality

4.46 Health Canada should finalize and issue to all deputy heads, the guidance it has developed for providing safe drinking water in areas of federal jurisdiction. It should also update the guidance as needed and promote its use by federal organizations. (4.43–4.45)

The document Guidance for Providing Safe Drinking Water in Areas of Federal Jurisdiction was finalized and approved by the Interdepartmental Working Group on Drinking Water in June 2005, after consultations within each of the departments involved.

The guidance document will be posted on the Health Canada Web site, and Health Canada's Deputy Minister will inform all deputy heads of the posting of the document. The Department will review and update the guidance document on a periodic basis, in consultation with the Interdepartmental Working Group. Health Canada and the co-chairs of the Interdepartmental Working Group will collaborate with the Treasury Board on adoption of the guidance document as per Recommendation 4.47.

4.47 The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, through the National Joint Council, should adopt the guidance for providing safe drinking water in areas of federal jurisdiction, as a requirement under the Sanitation Directive. (4.43–4.45)

When the National Joint Council opens the directive for renegotiation, the Treasury Board Secretariat will table wording recommending the guide be entrenched in the Sanitation Directive.

4.53 Health Canada should take measures to clearly assure Canadians that potable water on aircraft is safe on a continuing basis, including recommencing routine inspections. (4.52)

Health Canada has had ongoing negotiations with airline industry for the last four years. The industry, represented by the Air Transport Association of Canada, has stated it is unwilling to pay for inspections by Health Canada. The Department will continue to work with the airlines to bring them into Health Canada's voluntary, cost-recovered inspection program.

Health Canada will continue to inspect aircraft in the case of a complaint, emergency, or other event where there is evidence of a public health risk. The Department will examine funding options to ensure that the airline industry is subject to routine potable water inspections, taking into account inequities that may be incurred with other conveyances that already pay to participate in the voluntary, cost-recovered program.

4.55 Health Canada should revise the Potable Water Regulations for Common Carriers to include reference to the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality, a clear definition for ancillary services, and more appropriate penalties for non-compliance. (4.54)

Health Canada acknowledges the need for updated legislation to address public health risks on conveyances, and is proposing a more comprehensive approach. A new comprehensive regulation for conveyances and their ancillary services (to replace the Potable Water Regulations for Common Carriers) will address penalties, definitions, and referencing of the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality. It will also address risks associated with potable water as well as food, air quality, and general sanitation. This regulation would support Health Canada's commitments under the new Quarantine Act and the recently revised International Health Regulations (World Health Organization).

Status of the Federal Water Framework

4.61 Environment Canada, in collaboration with other federal departments and agencies, should establish clear next steps on what the Federal Water Framework will be used for, particularly in relation to its five ultimate outcomes. (4.56–4.60)

In September 2004, the Minister of the Environment launched a process to develop a Competitiveness and Environmental Sustainability Framework for Canada (CESF). The purpose of the Framework is to attain the highest level of environmental quality as a means to enhance the health and safety of Canadians, preserve our natural environment, and advance our long-term competitiveness.

The Federal Water Framework will help to reaffirm federal water policy priorities through the CESF. Some 19 federal departments completed the water framework task to describe their activities along five ultimate outcomes. The Water Framework serves as a tool to assist in identifying strengths and gaps in the departments' activities to address a full spectrum of water issues. Environment Canada will continue to promote the intent of the framework for priority setting and integrating water-related activities across the government.

As key next steps, outcomes of the Federal Water Framework will be integrated into the broader CESF along the following lines:

The primary strategies for achieving the outcomes of the Federal Water Framework will be used in developing elements of the CESF related to water. A round-table discussion on water through the Deputy Ministers' Policy Committee on Environment and Sustainability will help to reaffirm federal water priorities and align water-related activities across mandates with the CESF. This round-table discussion and the above-noted alignments are planned for the fall of 2005.