Inspections and Monitoring
Community water systems are inspected and monitored regularly, whereas private wells are assessed only upon request.
Environmental health officers work in conjunction with water system operators, municipal governments, public health engineers and others to monitor and assess the water quality of community water systems throughout the region.
Private wells are not routinely monitored, however, environmental health officers are available to assess, answer questions and offer potential solutions to problems that may arise regarding an individual's well water.
Construction and Engineering
Under the Drinking Water Protection Act, the Public Health Engineer evaluates, assesses and issues Construction Permits for construction, alteration or extensions of water treatment plants, reservoirs, disinfection systems and water transmission and distribution systems. The Public Health Engineer has developed the Guidelines for the Approval of Waterworks (PDF) to aid in completing the application.
In consultation with the Medical Health Officers and Environmental Health Officers, the Public Health Engineer evaluates and assesses new sources of water (surface water and groundwater) for public use, recommends terms and conditions for operating permits, reviews monitoring data, inspects existing water systems and provides other technical services at the request of either the medical health officers or environmental health officers.