COMMUNITY SERVICES AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
	TO:	Mayor and Members of Council
	FROM:	Jerry Klaus, General Manager of Waterworks
	PREPARED BY:	Sam Chong, Waterwork Technician
	DATE OF MEETING:	2004-June-07
	SUBJECT:	First Water Quality Quarterly Report for 2004

RECOMMENDATION:

That the First Water Quality Quarterly Report (Attachment “A”) be received.

PURPOSE:

To report on the First Water Quality Quarterly Report as requested by Council on the results of water sampling and testing for the period January 1, 2004 to March 31, 2004.

BACKGROUND:

Ontario’s Drinking Water Systems Regulation (O.Reg.170/03) requires all drinking system owners to collect and test a minimum prescribed number of representative water quality samples. For Markham, 1463 samples were required in the 3-month period from January 1, 2004 to March 31, 2004. Markham has collected and tested 2067 samples in order to satisfy the system needs. It further requires that drinking water owners provide the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) an annual report on the operation and the quality of drinking water within their jurisdictional boundaries.

WATER SAMPLING AND TESTING SUMMARY:

During the period January 1, 2004 to March 31, 2004, the total number of water samples collected and tested by Waterworks operators and sent to the York-Durham Regional Environmental Laboratory (YDREL) for analysis was 2067. Overall, 2 samples did not meet the Ontario’s Drinking Water Systems Regulation (O.Reg. 170/03) required parameters. Of the two failed samples, one tested positive for coliform after 24 hours, and one exceeded the limit for Heterotrophic Plate Count (HPC) after 48 hours. Upon being notified by YDREL that the two samples did not meet the water quality regulations, Waterworks operators flushed the affected parts of the water distribution system, re-sampled the water at the adverse, upstream, and downstream locations, and recorded the combined chlorine residual levels.

COMMENTS AND CORRECTIVE ACTION:

The coliform detection in water is regarded as a general indicator of water quality. In most cases, the coliform presence in samples stems either from sample handling or from domestic water piping through which distribution system samples are collected. The HPC is a method of measuring the aerobic bacterial content in water.

As a result of coliform detection in one sample and HPC in another, corrective actions were taken in accordance with regulatory requirements. There were 6 re-samples taken for the one sample where coliform was detected. These re-samples were collected at each of the adverse, upstream, and downstream locations and tested, and all found no coliform presence. There were 6 re-samples taken for the one sample where the HPC exceedance was reported. These samples were tested and found to pass the HPC regulatory limit.

COMMUNICATION:

This first Water Quarterly Report after being received by Council will be on the public record and available to the public. Waterworks will prepare and submit three additional Quarterly Water Quality reports for 2004. The quarterly reports will at the end of 2004 form part of the Annual Regulatory report to the Ministry of Environment under Section 11 and Schedule 22 of Regulation 170/03 on Municipal Drinking Water System. The Annual Report is available for the public on the Town’s web site and in hard copy from the Waterworks Department.

ATTACHMENTS:

Attachment “A” – Markham First Water Quality Quarterly Report for Jan 1 to Mar 31, 2004

Stan Bertoia, P.Eng. General Manager, Construction and Utilities

Peter Loukes, P. Eng. Director, Operations and Asset Management

____________________________________

Jim Sales

Commissioner of Community and Fire

Services

Q:\Commission Share\Operations and Asset Management\Reports\2004\C & U\First Water Quarterly Report.doc