Boil water advisories should be issued if there is evidence that there are levels of waterborne, disease causing bacteria, viruses or parasites in any of the water treatment systems or transporting infrastructure. Additionally, if turbidity standards are not met at the source, a boil water advisory should be advised (Health Canada, 2008). These advisories are generally issues by the responsible authorities or by means of the public health unit and are not lifted until the actions/improvements have been made to ensure a clean supply (Saskatchewan Water, n.d.). This is different from a precautionary measure as that needs to be evidence that the previous has not been met through means such as poor filtration/disinfection …show more content…
An example of this is a water main repair in a small community, where exposure of water to the surrounding environment has the potential to occur (Health Canada, 2008). These can also be issued if there is a possibility that problems with the treatment or distribution systems exist but may not cause a health threat to the public (Saskatchewan Water, n.d.).
Health Canada. (2008, January 7). Boil Water Advisories and Boil Water Orders. Retrieved October 5, 2015, from http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/pubs/water-eau/boil-ebullition-eng.php
Saskatchewan Water. (n.d.). Water Advisories. Retrieved October 5, 2015, from http://www.saskwater.com/services/customer_service/water_advisories.php
c. How many PDWA or BWA are currently in effect in Saskatchewan?
Based on Waterworks that are Regulated by the Water Security Agency or Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment (2015):
Currently 74 PDWA's and 1 BWA's in effect as of Fri, 2 Oct 2015 17:06:08 …show more content…
A large majority of the communities are Northern and consist of First nations community areas or fishing lodges.
The majority of the communities have had their water advisories for greater than 1 year with many advisories over 2 to 5 years old. This suggests that there is nothing being done to improve the water quality in these areas so as they meet minimum regulatory standards.
Regional Health Authorities (RHA). (2015, October 2). Precautionary Drinking Water Advisories (PDWA) and Emergency Boil Water Orders (EBWO) currently in Effect for Public Water Supplies that are Regulated by the Regional Health Authorities in Saskatchewan. Retrieved October 2, 2015, from http://www.saskh20.ca/reports/GOC/RhaActive.pdf
Water Security Agency. (2015, October 2). Precautionary Drinking Water Advisories (PDWA) and Emergency Boil Water Orders (EBWO) Currently in Effect for Waterworks that are Regulated by the Water Security Agency or Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment. Retrieved October 2, 2015, from