Rural drinking water at risk in Ontario, report says [Video]

A new report has revealed that Ontario’s rural drinking water systems desperately need oversight.

Today, the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario revealed that drinking water systems in non-municipal areas in the province are severely overlooked, as it was found that numerous drinking water systems have not been efficiently identified, reviewed, or tested by Public Health Units (PHUs).

Noted facilities that incorporate these at-risk systems include hotels, restaurants, and churches.

“A lack of testing can expose Ontarians to risks”, said Auditor General Shelley Spence in the report.

The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) is the primary authority responsible for this testing; however, according to the Office of the Auditor General, this institution currently lacks the capacity for efficient oversight.

According to the report, out of all 1,816 identified rural drinking water systems in Ontario, 34 per cent had not been inspected or tested in over five …