Water Quality in Canada is Excellent
Canadian drinking water is top quality, according to a Statistics Canada report issued December 9
In Stats Canada’s first ever survey of drinking water plants, it said that 98 per cent of Canadian water treatment plants had perfect compliance with federal guidelines for drinking water. The guidelines say that no E.coli should be present in treated water.
“These drinking water plants produce high quality water for millions of Canadians,” said Terence Nelligan, project manager for the survey.
The survey looked at two main types of bacteria, E.coli and coliforms. Both had higher concentrations in untreated surface water during the late summer and fall. A greater concentration of E.coli appeared to be linked to higher temperatures.
In 2007, about $885 million was spent upgrading drinking water plants and another $807 million was spent on operation and maintenance across Canada. These plants processed about 5.9 billion cubic metres of raw water, the equivalent of over two million Olympic-sized swimming pools.