Federal-Provincial-Territorial Committee on Drinking Water Thirty-Ninth Meeting October 25 - 27, 2006 Ottawa, Ontario

6.0 Secretariat Reports

6.01 Secretariat Reports

It was noted that the Water Quality and Health Bureau has been changed to the Water, Air and Climate Change Bureau. The Secretariat updated members on CEPA, the Federal Drinking Water Compliance Program, the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, the Centre for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, the various Divisions of the Water, Air and Climate Change Bureau (science, treatment and standards, policy), and Health Canada's research lab.

Decision/Action:

• For information

6.02 Bureau Projects for CDW

Members were updated on a range of projects undertaken by the Water, Air and Climate Change Bureau, including the CDW orientation manual, the Health Canada web site and CDW extranet site, a guidance document on developing a hierarchy for numerical guideline values, the federal waterborne contamination and illness response protocol, work on unregulated small and individual water supplies, source water indicators, recreational water quality guidelines, and water re-use guidelines and standards.

Decision/Action
Bacteriological sampling:

• Item dropped

Orientation manual:

• Members to provide comments to the Secretariat on the manual and the documents contained in it

Guidance on hierarchy for numerical guidelines:

• Alberta and Nova Scotia to help the Secretariat with the document

Federal Waterborne Response Protocol

• Members are invited to demonstrate interest in joining the web-based waterborne threats notification system

Small & Individual Supplies

• British Columbia, Nova Scotia and Yukon Territory are interested in working on small systems

Source Water Quality Indicators

• Secretariat will provide a link to the Statistics Canada report to members

7.0 Committee Liaison Reports

7.01 CHE Report

The liaison updated members on the activities of the Committee on Health and Environment since the last CDW meeting. It was noted that the liaison will be retiring soon and a replacement will need to be found.

Decision/Action:

• For information

7.02 CCME Report

The liaison provided an update on the water-related activities of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment and Environment Canada.

Decision/Action:

• For information

7.03 WHO Collaborating Centre

The Secretariat gave a background presentation on the work of the WHO/PAHO Collaborating Centre on Water. It was noted that Health Canada's Water, Air and Climate Change Bureau's status as a WHO Collaborating Centre has been renewed for another 6 year term.

Decision/Action:

• For information

7.04 Provincial-Territorial Subcommittee on Plumbing Codes/Canadian Advisory Committee on Plumbing Report

The liaison provided a written report to members. It was noted that the liaison will not be able to continue in his role. The CDW Secretariat will be the liaison until a replacement is found.

Decision/Action:

• CWWA to forward paper to the Secretariat on challenges with plumbing in institutional buildings
• Secretariat to follow-up with plumbing committees to determine who the liaison will be for CDW

7.05 Certification Body and Material Standards Reports

Members and certification bodies discussed concerns with counterfeit products on the market. The representative from SCC gave a presentation updating members on its certification program. The Secretariat gave a presentation on information provided to the CDW from the certification bodies. Members raised the issue of certified products that are repackaged losing their certified status. It was noted that the CDW received no concerns this year about products.

Decision/Action:

• SCC will work with the Secretariat to draft a definition of the scope of the CDW's interest
• A draft will be circulated within a year

8.0 Members' Reports

Each jurisdiction provided a report on its program and legislative activities, training and outreach programs, publications and current key issues.

9.0 Next Meeting

9.01 Location and Dates of Meetings

The next meeting will be in Toronto, May 2-4, 2007. The fall 2007 meeting will be held in Ottawa, October 24-26.

• Next meetings:
  • Toronto: May 2-4, 2007
  • Ottawa: October 24-26, 2007
  • Ottawa: Spring 2008
  • Quebec City: October 8-10, 2008

Decision/Action:

• Secretariat to confirm dates and location of May 2007 meeting