Water Quality Management

Many of the customers of Haliax Water are not aware of the efforts that go into assuring the safety of the water they are consuming. We recognize that as water providers we are in the business of protecting public health in HRM and accordingly, Water Quality Management is a cornerstone of what we do. This article will provide an overview of the tools we use. Some of these tools are mandated by provincial legislation while others have been adopted voluntarily by Halifax Water to ensure we are providing a level service consistent with the best water utilities anywhere.

Testing, Testing and More Testing

Halifax Water conducts over 100,000 individual parameter tests per year, at the treatment plants and in the distribution system. Two full time staff people are dedicated to water quality sampling to meet provincial requirements and HRWC's quality control/assurance program. Most importantly, from a public health perspective, 88 samples are taken each and every week (over 4500) per year for chlorine levels, e.coli and total coliform bacteria. These samples are taken right across our distribution systems and are taken according to schedule regardless of the weather.

Samples are also taken regularly as well for the following:

• Treatment plant performance and process control
• Disinfection by-products such as trihalomethanes and halo-acetic acids
• Regular lake sampling to monitor lake health and to check for pathogens such as cryptosporidium and giardia.
• Corrosion monitoring to make sure the water is not corrosive to household plumbing.

Water Quality Master Planning

In the last forty years, the number of water quality parameters that utilities must monitor and treat for have increased by a factor of twenty. Despite this, Halifax Water and many other water utilities have been able to continue to meet public health requirements. We do this by Water Quality Master Planning (WQMP).

WQMP describes the process whereby a water utility tries its best to predict the public’s expectations for water quality, sets its own water quality goals and then plans for any necessary capital or operational improvements. Our goal is to be compliant with new regulations before they are introduced.

In an effort to do an even better job of this, Halifax Water recently completed its first formal WQMP document. This is our roadmap to make sure we continue to provide the best quality water for the next 25 years.

Premise Investigation Program

Since we want our customers to be confident in the quality of water being delivered to their premise, Halifax Water operates a premise investigation program. All calls related to water quality are reviewed. Many can be answered directly over the phone but where that cannot be done with certainty, qualified staff will visit customer homes to investigate their concerns. For any call that has a potential health impact, we respond the same day. Call 490-4835 should you have any water quality concern whatsoever.

Research

Research is one of the ways we stay out in front of water quality issues. Halifax Water participates regularly in water quality research initiated by either the National Research Council of Canada, the American Water Works Research Foundation, or the International Water Association. Halifax Water is building a pilot water treatment plant at Pockwock Lake and recently signed a three year research partnership agreement with Dalhousie University. Under this agreement, Dalhousie will conduct research at the pilot plant aimed at optimizing the performance of our treatment plants. The goal of this program is for Halifax Water to be confident that its plants are operating at the highest possible performance level and to create an international centre of excellence in water quality at Dalhousie University.

This innovative program will allow Halifax Water and Dalhousie to test new and emerging treatment processes at pilot scale prior to investing in full scale process improvements.

Water Quality Committee

In recognition that water supply affects public health, Halifax Water meets 4 times per year with the Medical Officer of Health, QEII laboratory staff, and representatives from Nova Scotia Environment and Labour. Water quality issues are discussed in a proactive manner and plans are made for dealing with potential water quality emergencies.

These are just a few of the tools we use to assure that only the highest quality water is delivered to our customers. Please call 490-4835 if you have any water quality questions.