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Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality - Summary Table

Table of Contents

New, revised, reaffirmed and upcoming guidelines

Guidelines for several chemical, physical and microbiological parameters are new or have been revised since the publication of the Sixth Edition of the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality in 1996. These new and revised guidelines are presented in Table 1.

Table 1. New and revised guidelines
Parameter	Guideline (mg/L)	Previous guideline (mg/L)	CHE approval
Microbiological parameters^a
Bacteriological		0 coliforms/100 mL
E.coli	0 per 100 mL		2006
Total coliforms	0 per 100 mL		2006
Heterotrophic plate count	No numerical guideline required		2006
Emerging pathogens	No numerical guideline required		2006
Protozoa	No numerical guideline required	None	2004
Enteric viruses	No numerical guideline required	None	2004
Turbidity	0.3/1.0/0.1 NTU^b	1.0 NTU	2004
Chemical and physical parameters
Aluminum	0.1/0.2^c	None	1999
Antimony	0.006	None	1997
Arsenic	0.010	0.025	2006
Bromate	0.01	None	1999
Bromodichloromethane (BDCM)	0.016	None	2006
Chlorate	1.0	None	2008
Chlorite	1.0	None	2008
Cyanobacterial toxins--microcystin-LR	0.0015	None	2002
Fluoride	1.5	1.5	1996
Formaldehyde	No numerical guideline required	None	1998
Haloacetic Acids--Total (HAAs)	0.080	None	2008
Methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE)	0.015	None	2006
Trichloroethylene (TCE)	0.005	0.05	2005
Trihalomethanes--Total (THMs)	0.100	0.100	2006
Uranium	0.02	0.1	2000

^aRefer to section on Guidelines for microbiological parameters.

^bBased on conventional treatment/slow sand or diatomaceous earth filtration/membrane filtration.

^cThis is an operational guidance value, designed to apply only to drinking water treatment plants using aluminum-based coagulants. The operational guidance values of 0.1 mg/L applies to conventional treatment plants, and 0.2 mg/L applies to other types of treatment systems.

The Federal-Provincial-Territorial Committee on Drinking Water has established a science-based process to systematically review older guidelines to assess the need to update them. Table 2 provides the list of parameters whose guidelines remain appropriate and have been reaffirmed as a result of this review. Health Canada and the FPT Committee on Drinking Water will continue to monitor research on these parameters and recommend any revision(s) to the guidelines that is deemed necessary.

Table 2. Reaffirmed guidelines (2005)

Asbestos
Azinphos-methyl
Bendiocarb
Benzo(a)pyrene
Bromoxynil
Cadmium
Calcium
Carbaryl
Carbofuran
Chloride
Colour

Cyanazine
Diazinon
Dicamba
2,4-Dichlorophenol
Diclofop-methyl
Dimethoate
Diquat
Diuron
Ethylbenzene
Gasoline
Glyphosate

Iron
Magnesium
Malathion
Methoxychlor
Metribuzin
Odour
Paraquat
Pentachlorophenol
Phorate
Picloram
Silver

Taste
Temperature
Terbufos
2,3,4,6-Tetrachlorophenol
Toluene
2,4,6-Trichlorophenol
Trifluralin
Xylenes
Zinc

Table 3 outlines documents which are being or have been developed and are awaiting approval through the Federal-Provincial-Territorial process.

Table 3. Upcoming documents (not yet finalized/approved)
Parameter or subject	Document type (GTD or guidance)	Current status
Protozoa	GTD	In preparation^b
Enteric viruses	GTD	In preparation^b
Ammonia	GTD	In preparation^b
Boil water advisories	Guidance	In preparation^a
Benzene	GTD	Consultation concluded^a
Carbon tetrachloride	GTD	In preparation^b
Chloral hyrate	Guidance	Consultation concluded^a
Chlorine	GTD	Consultation concluded^a
Corrosion control	Guidance	Consultation concluded^a
Drinking water avoidance advisories	Guidance	In preparation^a
Fluoride	GTD	In preparation^b
2-Methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA)	GTD	In preparation^c
Nitrate/Nitrite	GTD	In preparation^b
N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA)	GTD	In preparation^b
Potassium from water softeners	Guidance	In preparation^a
Radiological characteristics	GTD	Consultation concluded^a