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UPDATE: June 8, 2006 Below is a brief synopsis of what each segment contains, along with running time. Audio is set up as a streaming file for playback in Windows Media Player. If you have a Mac and the clips do not play, go to: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/download/download.aspx After streaming is complete, files can be downloaded by right-clicking > Save to disk. To listen, click on the segment title. 1 Introduction Running time: 1:11 History and evolution of the development of the Regulation, including Walkerton, Reg 170, establishment of the Safe Drinking Water Advisory Council, Public Consultations. To download the PowerPoint slides referred to in segments 2 and 3, click here. Running time: 4:43 3 Rollout, Risk Assessment & Maintenance Deals with the roll out schedule of the new, as yet unannounced regulation, slated to begin January 1, 2007; Expected risk assessment frequency, (every 2 years for high-risk systems, every 4 years for medium and low-risk systems); Oversight framework and operator training. Running time: 6:49 4 Issues and Challenges: An invitation to dialogue Segment suggests there are challenges specific to Northern Ontario and remote locations; inspections, collection and sampling; how do we reach everyone with accurate information; invitation to hear from the industry on solutions that are sensible and practical. Running time: 3:48 Questions and Open Discussion 5 Doug Reynolds, Executive Director, NOTO What is a Risk Assessment? Risk Assessment will be an Inspector-administered tool driven by a PC to ensure consistency and uniformity Ontario-wide. Sampling: presence/absence tests. No doubt that they are credible, but quality assurance is a concern. Presence-absence has been referred to “legal” with the question: How do you consider a self-administered presence/absence test as a regulated result? Response: “It will be very difficult for government to accept, in the interest of the public good, a sample test result that is self-administered and self-reported.” A final decision has not yet been made on this item. Most operators in the north appear generally satisfied assuming there is reasonable access to labs and assuming the labs are charging a reasonable fee which some are not. Ministry has been assured that there is testing capacity in the North, and there is a desire on the part of the Ministry of Health to develop a transportation system that will meet everyone’s needs. Posting options will be built into the regulatory framework. The exception is if you are a food premise. Treated water is not always the expectation that visitors to remote areas have. Running time: 9:24 Will the special arrangements being contemplated for Northern Ontario with respect to reasonable access and drop off points be applied throughout rural Ontario or only in the North? “If a transportation system can be developed that’s efficient we would look at it, using Health Units as an example. This is something the Ministry is looking at.” Running Time: 1:02 7. David Seal, Resorts Ontario Is the Risk Assessment based on the same criteria as Regulation 170 as it applies to the larger systems in regards to testing procedures, turbidity and micron counts etc.? “We cannot change the parameters as they are listed in the Ontario Drinking Water Standards, so that’s a given.” Risk Assessment will look at things like land use, condition of the well, the population served, condition of the distribution system, the training of the operator, the infrastructure in place. Running Time: 1:16 Re: Northern Ontario, Lake and Surface Water How does Risk assessment work with surface water and treatment models or templates? A specific discussion of equipment requirements, source water, appropriate treatment, distribution systems and how treatment and operator training may improve risk assessment results. Risk Assessment will help define what is a drinking water system. What operators are doing to prevent risk will influence the result. There may be situations where engineering reports are required. Options in some situations to post. In the end, the Ministry is trying to be creative, but will not compromise on the fact that water for human consumption must be safe. There are different options for delivering it. Running time: 8:34 So from what you’re saying, gas stations can post. Where do Churches fit in? Response: A difficult gray area. “If there is no food service going on, the sense is, why should they have a system? Why could they not post. This is the starting point.” Running time: 1:22 Edited discussion of operator training in various scenarios, with reference to provincial parks and risk to public health through various facilities. Operator Training discussion Running time: 2:17 Content is primarily background: Who does the regulation affect? How is public access to drinking water defined? Review of steps of how we arrived at where we are today. Running time: 3:55 What is the rationale for moving testing for public access facilities from public labs to private labs? What is happening to the infrastructure of the public health lab system that predetermines the need to move testing to a private, for profit system that will essentially become a government sanctioned monopoly? The mandate of the provincial lab is under review. They are trying to sort out who does what testing. The difficulty is that the existing mandate for the lab is private testing. The Ministry does not expect public labs to be doing any testing under the new regulation. Concern is over consistency of fees and accessibility. The Ministry is aware of the problem. Running time: 5:14 Merit to public testing. There is value to posting test results, where the perception of reliability of the public labs has more credibility than a private test result that you paid for. As government, you take on a regulatory responsibility to make sure that no price gouging occurs, which may include having to regulate pricing if necessary if you’re going to make the requirement mandatory to use the private sector. Public labs are preferable to private labs from the standpoint of consumer preferences because it has more credibility in everyone’s eyes, but the fundamental concerns are around price points and accessibility. Running time: 2:43 14 Bruce Gravel, OAA, Beth Potter, OPCA Concur that their members would much prefer to remain with public labs, but the price point and convenient drop off remain the key issues. Running time: 0:29 15 Dave Cormier, Ontario Snow Resorts Need for communication: how will the information get out there? Will there be an opportunity to do a “pre-assessment”? Ministry is planning a communications program beginning in June-July, 2006 Running Time: 3:42 16 Fred Ruf: Establish a History, Test your water now Doug Reynolds: the problem of timelines, seasonal demands of tourism and when to start testing, especially on surface water when no treatment is involved. What does a compliant system look like? If we are looking to establish a history, some people can’t do it without going out on a limb and installing treatment that may not be compliant within the Risk Assessment procedures as they are established. Ministry encourages people not to invest anything until the Risk Assessment process is complete. However, this has implications for seasonal timelines as the process is implemented. Running time: 4:08 17 Bill Rigosa – Northern Ontario Native Tourism Association How can we as associations work together? We all have the same concerns about safe clean water, which goes out by extension to our guests. Desire to provide and ensure good water. What systems will we put in place so that when people use the tap they know the water is drinkable. General broad-ranging comments about how best to get the new regulation understood. Produce simple language that is easily understood. Use Association networks and presentations at Annual Meetings to communicate with members. Running time: 9:20 Reference to Fred Ruf presentation at FOBBA meeting. Running time: 2:06 19 Jim Antler, Ministry of Tourism Summary and wrap-up. Running time: 2:20
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