| #Q001 | monitoring | health | guideline | Owner Responsibility for Water Quality | drinking water | As a private well owner, you're responsible for monitoring and maintaining your water quality. | | high |
| #Q002 | monitoring | health | recommended | Microbial Contamination Testing Frequency | drinking water | Test your well water at least once every 6 months for microbial contamination. | | high |
| #Q003 | administrative | health | recommended | Chemical Contaminant Testing Frequency Consultation | drinking water | Check with your local public health authorities about how often to test for specific chemicals in your area. | | high |
| #Q004 | monitoring | aesthetic | recommended | General Water Quality Testing Frequency | drinking water | General water quality parameters should be tested once every 2 years. | | high |
| #Q005 | monitoring | operational | guidance | Optimal Sampling Timing | drinking water | The best time to sample your well water is when there is the greatest chance of contamination, such as: in early spring and fall, after a fire or wildfire, after heavy rains or floods, after a long dry spell or drought, after the well hasn't been used for a long time | | high |
| #Q006 | monitoring | operational | recommended | Event-Based Testing Triggers | drinking water | You should also test your water when: there are changes in land use or activities near your well, you notice a change in the colour, taste or smell of your water, you complete repairs or maintenance to your well or related equipment | | high |
| #Q007 | monitoring | health | guidance | Increased Testing for Vulnerable Wells | drinking water | You may need to test more frequently if your well is vulnerable to contamination. | If your well is vulnerable to contamination | high |
| #Q008 | operational | operational | guidance | Compliance with Laboratory Instructions | drinking water | Reliable and accurate results also depend on following all instructions from the accredited laboratory on: collecting the water sample, labeling and storing the water sample, completing and submitting the test forms, handling and transporting the water sample to the laboratory | | high |
| #Q009 | corrective_action | health | recommended | Corrective Actions for Bacterial Detection | drinking water | If E. coli or total coliform bacteria are found in your well water sample: Collect and test another water sample as soon as possible to confirm whether your water is contaminated with E. coli , total coliforms or both. If the second test doesn't show any contamination, test a third sample to confirm this result. If the second or third test confirms that your well water is contaminated, shock disinfect your well and take corrective actions. | If E. coli or total coliform bacteria are found in your well water sample | high |
| #Q010 | corrective_action | health | recommended | Precautionary Actions for E. coli Detection | drinking water | If there's E. coli in your well water sample: boil any water used for drinking, cooking or teeth brushing or use another safe source of water until test results show that the water is safe to drink | If there's E. coli in your well water sample | high |
| #Q011 | operational | health | guidance | Guidance on Total Coliform Exceedance | drinking water | If there is total coliform bacteria in your well water sample: you can continue to use your drinking water while you wait for further test results. | If there is total coliform bacteria in your well water sample | high |
| #Q012 | corrective_action | health | recommended | Response to Suspected Waterborne Illness | drinking water | If you or a family member have a gastrointestinal illness and suspect that it's related to drinking your well water: speak to your doctor and local health unit, have your water tested | If you or a family member have a gastrointestinal illness and suspect that it's related to drinking your well water | high |
| #Q013 | corrective_action | health | recommended | Corrective Action for Chemical Exceedance | drinking water | If a chemical exceeds an acceptable level, it will need: additional sampling, appropriate corrective actions | If a chemical exceeds an acceptable level | high |
| #Q014 | administrative | health | recommended | Local Consultation for Chemical Concerns | drinking water | Contact your local public health unit or drinking water authority for information on chemical contaminants that are of concern in your area. | | high |
| #Q015 | monitoring | health | guidance | High-Risk Area Monitoring and Treatment Actions | drinking water | If your well is in an area that's at high risk of contamination, you may need to: test more frequently, look for suitable treatment options | If your well is in an area that's at high risk of contamination | high |
| #Q016 | administrative | health | recommended | Local Consultation for Additional Chemicals | drinking water | Contact your local public health unit or drinking water authority to find out if you should test for these or other chemicals. | | high |
| #Q017 | monitoring | aesthetic | recommended | General Water Quality Testing Recommendation | drinking water | You should also test for general water quality. | | high |
| #Q018 | operational | aesthetic | guidance | Response to Aesthetic or Operational Parameter Exceedances | drinking water | If any of these parameters are above their aesthetic or operational objective levels, you may safely continue to drink and use your water. You may choose to treat your water to prevent common problems such as staining or scaling, or to improve the taste or smell of your water. | If any of these parameters are above their aesthetic or operational objective levels | high |
| #Q019 | corrective_action | health | recommended | General Corrective Action for Exceeding Guidelines | drinking water | If there are contaminants in your water above the recommended guideline values, take corrective action as soon as possible. | If there are contaminants in your water above the recommended guideline values | high |
| #Q020 | administrative | health | recommended | Education and Outreach Programs | drinking water | Water utilities should also have education and outreach programs to make consumers aware of how water quality can deteriorate within residential and building plumbing systems. | | high |
| #Q021 | operational | health | recommended | Risk Management Strategy Implementation | drinking water | Water utilities and building owners/managers should have appropriate risk management strategies that utilize multiple parameters to assess the performance of drinking water treatment and/or distribution operations. | | high |
| #Q022 | monitoring | health | recommended | Source Water Assessment Components | drinking water | Source water assessments should include: the identification of potential sources of microbiological contamination in the watershed/aquifer; potential pathways and/or events (low to high risk) by which microorganisms of concern can make their way into the source water and affect water quality; and conditions likely to lead to peak concentrations. | | high |
| #Q023 | monitoring | health | recommended | Subsurface Source Assessment Requirements | drinking water | Assessments for subsurface sources should include, at a minimum, a hydrogeological assessment, an evaluation of well integrity and a survey of activities and physical features in the area (Health Canada 2019b, 2019c). | For subsurface sources | high |
| #Q024 | monitoring | treatment | recommended | Source Characterization for Nutrients | drinking water | surface and subsurface sources should be characterized with regard to organic and inorganic nutrient concentrations (Cantor, 2017). | | high |
| #Q025 | treatment | health | recommended | Production of Biologically Stable Water | drinking water | Water utilities should therefore aim to produce biologically stable water to minimize the potential for problems to occur in distribution and premise plumbing systems (see Sections A.3.3 and A.3.4) (Health Canada, 2022). | | high |
| #Q026 | administrative | reporting | recommended | Local Regulatory Verification for Buildings | other | building owners/managers should contact the responsible authority in the affected jurisdiction to confirm if specific requirements will apply to their system (e.g., cooling tower registry). | | high |
| #Q027 | operational | health | recommended | Nasal Rinse Safety Standard | drinking water | individuals should ensure that they conduct nasal rinses using water that has been boiled and cooled, or distilled water. | When performing nasal irrigation | high |
| #Q028 | design | health | recommended | Land-based and Aerosol Risk Consideration | drinking water | It is important that risks from both land-based and aerosol-generating activities (e.g., spray irrigation, pressure washers) be considered in the source water assessment. | | high |
| #Q029 | treatment | treatment | recommended | Treatment Performance Optimization | drinking water | optimize treatment performance for turbidity and natural organic matter removal; | | high |
| #Q030 | monitoring | operational | recommended | Multi-Parameter Performance Testing | drinking water | conduct performance testing using multiple parameters (e.g., disinfectant residual, microbiological indicators, pH, turbidity); | | high |
| #Q031 | administrative | operational | recommended | Operator Training Requirement | drinking water | provide operator training to assure the effectiveness of the water safety plan at all times. | | high |
| #Q032 | monitoring | operational | recommended | Distribution System Multi-Parametric Monitoring | drinking water | Comprehensive, multi-parametric monitoring programs (e.g., disinfectant residual paired with temperature and biofilm formation rate) are recommended to confirm system-specific requirements (Health Canada, 2022). | | high |
| #Q033 | design | operational | recommended | Premise Plumbing Nutrient Limitation | drinking water | limiting nutrient levels through an emphasis on system design and materials; | | high |
| #Q034 | design | operational | recommended | Premise Plumbing Stagnation Minimization | drinking water | minimizing areas of low flow/stagnation; | | high |
| #Q035 | operational | health | recommended | Premise Plumbing Temperature Management | drinking water | keeping temperatures of cold and hot water systems outside of the ideal range for microorganism growth (e.g., cold water less than 20°C, hot water tank temperature greater than 60°C; hot water lines at distal points ideally greater than 55°C); | | high |
| #Q036 | operational | health | recommended | Aerosol Transmission Reduction | drinking water | reducing the formation and transmission of contaminated aerosols from system components such as cooling towers, showers, faucets, hot tubs and humidifiers. | | high |
| #Q037 | operational | operational | recommended | Climate Change Risk Integration | drinking water | water utilities and building owners/managers should integrate the risks associated with climate change into their management strategies to maximize the reliability, robustness and resilience of their water systems. | | high |
| #Q038 | operational | health | recommended | Contact Lens Care Guidance | other | individuals in the home who wear contact lenses should also follow guidance from their eye care providers on proper lens handling, cleaning and wear (CDC, 2017b). | | high |
| #Q039 | treatment | health | recommended | Free Chlorine Residual Target for Naegleria | drinking water | Maintaining a minimum free chlorine residual of 0.5 mg/L throughout the distribution system is recommended for the control of N. fowleri in vulnerable drinking water systems. | in vulnerable drinking water systems | high |
| #Q040 | treatment | treatment | recommended | Primary Disinfection CT/IT Application | drinking water | properly apply primary disinfection technologies to meet appropriate CT (disinfectant concentration in mg/L × time in minutes) requirements when using chemical oxidants (i.e., free chlorine, ozone, chlorine dioxide) or IT (intensity measured in mW/cm2 or W/m 2× time measured in seconds resulting in a computed fluence in mJ/cm2) requirements when using ultraviolet (UV) disinfection; | when using chemical oxidants or UV disinfection | high |
| #Q041 | treatment | operational | recommended | Nutrient Concentration Management | drinking water | minimize nutrient concentrations in treated water and have a good understanding of their concentrations in the distribution system; | | high |
| #Q042 | treatment | operational | recommended | Distribution System Scaling and Corrosion Optimization | drinking water | optimize treatment to minimize the amount of scaling and/or corrosion in the distribution system; | | high |
| #Q043 | treatment | treatment | recommended | Secondary Disinfection Application | drinking water | properly apply secondary disinfection technologies (i.e., free chlorine or monochloramine) for residual maintenance in the distribution system; | for residual maintenance | high |
| #Q044 | design | operational | recommended | Distribution System Material Selection | drinking water | use proper construction materials; | | high |
| #Q045 | corrective_action | treatment | recommended | Disinfectant Residual Maintenance and Corrective Action | drinking water | maintain an effective disinfectant residual and take preventive/corrective actions when low disinfectant residuals occur, particularly during warm water temperature conditions when biofilm growth accelerates; | particularly during warm water temperature conditions | high |
| #Q046 | operational | operational | recommended | Distribution Water Age and Temperature Management | drinking water | manage water age and the effects of temperature; | | high |
| #Q047 | operational | treatment | recommended | Contaminant Entry Prevention | drinking water | minimize the potential for contaminant entry from external sources (e.g., maintain positive pressure, implement cross-connection/backflow control programs, practice strict hygiene during mains constructions and repairs); | | high |
| #Q048 | operational | treatment | recommended | Distribution System Cleaning | drinking water | keep the distribution system clean by removing biofilm, loose deposits and sediment from watermains and storage facilities (e.g., use of appropriate flushing and cleaning techniques); | | high |
| #Q049 | administrative | treatment | recommended | Source Water Protection Plan Requirement | drinking water | Water utility requirements include a source water protection plan to protect the source to minimize risks to public health and reduce water treatment costs. | | high |
| #Q050 | administrative | operational | recommended | Distribution System Management Plan Requirement | drinking water | Water utility requirements include a distribution system management plan to establish policies and operational goals designed to protect water quality in the distribution system. | | high |
| #Q051 | administrative | operational | recommended | Building Water Management Plan Requirement | drinking water | Building owners/managers requirements include a building water management plan to establish policies and operational goals designed to protect water quality in the building and premise plumbing system. | | high |
| #Q052 | operational | treatment | recommended | Disinfectant Residual Balancing Requirement | drinking water | the choice of disinfectant residual should effectively balance concomitant water quality objectives related to: 1) microbial species (e.g., Legionella, mycobacteria); 2) water chemistry; 3) disinfection by-product concentrations; and 4) the complexity of the distribution system | | high |
| #Q053 | design | operational | recommended | Mixing Valve Positioning and Maintenance | drinking water | Mixing valves should be positioned as close as possible to the point of use and provide access for maintenance and cleaning | | high |
| #Q054 | treatment | operational | recommended | Supplemental Disinfection Consultation | drinking water | A water treatment professional should be consulted before applying any supplemental disinfection. | | high |
| #Q055 | treatment | treatment | recommended | Monochloramine Use Restriction | drinking water | It is important to note that monochloramine is recommended only for secondary disinfection and residual maintenance in the distribution system | | high |
| #Q056 | treatment | health | recommended | Certified Treatment Device Recommendation | drinking water | Health Canada recommends that consumers use devices certified by an accredited certification body as meeting the appropriate NSF International (NSF)/American National Standards Institute (ANSI) drinking water treatment unit standards | Where treatment is necessary | high |
| #Q057 | monitoring | health | guidance | Private Well Inspection and Testing Recommendation | drinking water | For residential-scale systems and private wells, regular physical inspection to identify deficiencies and testing of the water system (e.g., for E. coli and total coliforms) to confirm the microbiological quality of the water are important. | For residential-scale systems and private wells | high |
| #Q058 | monitoring | health | guidance | Additional Microbiological Analysis Parameters | drinking water | Where problems with the microbiological quality of the drinking water are suspected, it may be useful to include additional parameters (e.g., HPC) in the analysis | Where problems with the microbiological quality are suspected | high |
| #Q059 | administrative | operational | recommended | Jurisdictional Authority Consultation | drinking water | Specific guidance on construction, operation, maintenance and testing should be obtained from the responsible drinking water authority in the affected jurisdiction. | | high |
| #Q060 | monitoring | operational | recommended | Risk-Informed Environmental Monitoring | other | environmental monitoring at individual facilities should be informed by a site-specific risk assessment as part of a Water Management Plan | At individual facilities | high |
| #Q061 | operational | health | recommended | Plumbing Fitting Cleaning and Maintenance | other | Additional actions recommended as part of a water safety plan include regular cleaning and maintenance of plumbing fittings and equipment that can support biofilm growth and aerosol formation (faucets, showerheads, hot tubs/spas, cooling towers) | As part of a water safety plan | high |