Drinking Water Quality
Drinking Water Source to Tap
Drinking Water Source-to-Tap Screening Tool
In 2004, the Province developed the self-screening tool (PDF 392K) for use as a secondary method for assessing risk in drinking water systems.
This survey is to be completed by the water purveyor (on a voluntary basis or as required by the local drinking water officer) and submitted to the drinking water officer (DWO) who evaluates the results. If significant risks are identified, the drinking water officer can determine if a water supplier needs to undertake a comprehensive source-to-tap assessment to further analyze the risks.
The tool is formatted as a question-and-answer document consisting of 97 questions in the following categories:
- Administration, management, operation and water system description.
- Water source.
- Water treatment.
- Water storage.
- Distribution.
- Tap water quality.
Comprehensive Drinking Water Source-to-Tap Assessment Guideline
Professionals who will be conducting assessments, drinking water officers, and water suppliers are the intended audiences for this guideline.
In addition to fulfilling a regulatory requirement, the Comprehensive Drinking Water Source-to-Tap Assessment Guideline (CS2TA) serves as a tool to help water systems develop a more comprehensive understanding of the risks to drinking water safety and availability. It also helps water systems learn how to operate more effectively, and ensure the best possible water quality and assured quantity. This guideline can be applied both under orders by a drinking water officer (DWO) or as a voluntary measure by water suppliers wanting to understand risks to drinking water safety in their systems.
Should significant risks to a water system be identified through the Drinking Water Source-to-Tap Screening Tool or by some other means, a DWO can order an assessment of the water system. DWOs can, at their discretion, specify that the CS2TA is used to complete this assessment, either using all of the modules, or taking a more targeted approach and using only the modules that will address the risks identified through the screening tool. Prior to beginning an assessment using this guideline, it is important that the Introduction be reviewed in detail for information on the assessment process.
This guideline for conducting assessments in British Columbia provides a structured and consistent approach to evaluating risks to drinking water, and satisfying the assessment requirement under Part 3 of the Drinking Water Protection Act.
The Comprehensive Drinking Water Source-to-Tap Assessment Guideline is broken into an introduction and eight modules, each of which addresses a different aspect of the drinking water system from source to tap:
- TITLE PAGE (PDF 239K)
- INTRODUCTION: Understand and Prepare for the Assessment Process (PDF 344K)
- MODULE 1: Delineate and Characterize Drinking Water Source(s) (PDF 779K)
- MODULE 2: Conduct Contaminant Source Inventory (PDF 284K)
- MODULE 3: Assess Water System Elements (PDF 205K)
- MODULE 4: Evaluate Water System Management, Operation and Maintenance Practices (PDF 215K)
- MODULE 5: Audit Water Quality and Availability (PDF 234K)
- MODULE 6: Review Financial Capacity and Governance of Water Service Agency (PDF 208K)
- MODULE 7: Characterize Risks from Source to Tap (PDF 331K)
- MODULE 8: Recommend Actions to Improve Drinking Water Protection (PDF 192K)
Drinking Water Officers
Please see the Drinking Water Officer’s Guide (PDF 602K), pages 72-76, for information on your role in the assessment process.
Other Reports
Top