Drinking Water Providers & Operators

New drinking water sources need to be assessed to identify and avoid potential contamination. Information collected is essential for supporting source protection efforts and proper treatment system design and operation.
Review the following information before starting your assessment application:

• New Drinking Water Source Guidelines
• Evaluation of Surface Water Guidelines
• Evaluation of Groundwater Sources Guidelines
• Parameter List for New Drinking Water Sources
• Water System Approval Process for Small Business Owners
• FAQ: Water System Approvals for Small Business Owners

Complete the Request for New Drinking Water Source form. Contact an environmental health officer (EHO) with any questions.

An EHO will evaluate your new drinking water source(s) information and provide recommendations to you. Once you have received your recommendations, proceed with the Waterworks Construction Permit Application.

Construction permits are required by the Drinking Water Protection Act and must be obtained before the construction, installation, alteration or extension of a water supply system.

Review the following information prior to starting your application:

• Application for Waterworks Construction Permit
• Construction Permit for Small Business Water System Checklist
• Guidelines for the Construction of Waterworks  
• Construction permits Q&A
• Water System Approval Process for Small Business Owners
• FAQ: Water System Approvals for Small Business Owners
• Design Guidelines for Drinking Water Systems in B.C.

Complete the Application for Waterworks Construction Permit and email the form to Engineering Direct. If you have any questions, please contact Engineering Direct toll-free at 1-855-743-3550 or by email.

Additional requirements:

• Cover letter
• Digital copy of all documents and drawings (PDF format is acceptable)
• Specifications
• Professional reports
• Sample results

An operating permit is required for community drinking water supply.

Once a public health engineer has issued your construction permit, your file will be forwarded to an environmental health officer to begin the operating permit approval process. Complete the Application for a Permit to Operate a Water Supply System and contact an environmental health officer.

Drinking water operators should have emergency preparedness plans drafted as part of their regulatory requirements. For specific information on preparedness planning, please consult with your environmental health officer.

• Emergency Response and Contingency Planning for Small Water Systems: A step-by-step guide to creating an emergency response and contingency plan for small water systems
• Emergency Response and Contingency Plan Template: Template to help identify key information and to serve as a starting point for preparing an emergency response and contingency response plan

Selection and protection of a high quality water source is the first and most important step in ensuring clean, safe, and reliable drinking water.  Water suppliers need to understand where their water comes from, the factors effecting the amount and quality of the water entering their system, and how to manage threats to their source.  

Learn about the steps water suppliers take to assess and protect drinking water supplies.

Resource extraction (e.g. mining, logging), farming, construction, recreation and waste disposal all pose a threat to watersheds. We all need to follow land-use regulations and best practices to avoid creating drinking water health hazards.  

Learn about land-use regulations that protect watersheds and water quality.

• Fraser Basin Council 
• Columbia Basin Trust
• Okanagan Water Basin Board
• Ministry of Health – Drinking Water
• Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Fisheries
• Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy
• Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources Operations
• Canadian Council of the Ministers of the Environment 
• Health Canada – Water Quality

Community system water samples are collected by the owner of the system or other suitably trained personnel and submitted for bacteriological testing. Chemical water sample results are not available at this time.

• View drinking water samples

• Water Quality Advisory
• Boil Water Notice
• Do Not Use
• Do Not Consume

For upcoming peer-to-peer courses offered by Interior Health Authority, please refer to the British Columbia Small Water Systems Online Help Centre.

• Point-of-Entry and Point-of-Use: Treatment Options for Small Water Systems
• Provincial Small Water Systems Guidebook
• Online Help Centre for BC Small Water Suppliers