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Manitoba drinking water, ground water affected by red tape reduction bill
March 20, 2017 By Ground Water Canada
Winnipeg – Manitoba’s Red Tape Reduction and Government Efficiency Act, 2017, or Bill 24, has given a first reading. The bill’s proposed changes would impact The Drinking Water Safety Act and The Groundwater and Water Well Act.
The new legislation will mean the following changes to The Drinking Water Safety Act:
C.C.S.M. c. D101 amended
3(1) The Drinking Water Safety Act is amended by this section.
3(2) Subsection 7(2) is amended by striking out “an application for a permit” and substituting “a written request“.
3(3) The following is added after subsection 9(1):
Frequency of assessments may be reduced
9(1.1) Despite subsection (1), the director may reduce the frequency of required assessments for a water system to a minimum of once in every 10-year period if the director is satisfied that reducing the frequency will not significantly increase the risk to the safety of water obtained from the water system.
Retroactive application
9(1.2) A reduction in frequency under subsection (1.1) may be made to apply retroactively, but not to a date earlier than March 1, 2017.
3(4) Subsection 9(2) is amended in the part before clause (a) by striking out “under subsection (1)” and substituting “required under subsections (1) and (1.1)“.
3(5) Subsection 22(2) is replaced with the following:
Emergency reporting of results
22(2) If a laboratory conducts an analysis of a sample from a public water system or a semi-public water system, and the results indicate that a serious and immediate health risk to users of the system exists or may exist, the laboratory must immediately notify the director, a medical officer or a drinking water officer and provide the information that he or she requires.
3(6) The following is added after clause 39(1)(n):
(n.1) respecting requirements for shipping, receiving, and chain-of-custody forms and procedures in relation to water samples submitted to laboratories for analysis;
It new legislation also will mean changes to The Groundwater and Water Well and Related Amendments Act:
The new legislation also repeals three portions of The Groundwater and Water Well and Related Amendments Act, S.M. 2012, c. 27:
Section 12:
Identification plates and annual validation strips 12(1) When issuing or renewing a well drilling contractor licence, the director must issue the following in accordance with the regulations:
(a) an identification plate for each drilling machine that the contractor is licensed to operate;
(b) an annual validation strip to be affixed to the identification plate.
Identification plates and strips to be affixed
12(2) A well drilling contractor must ensure that identification plates and annual validation strips issued to the contractor are affixed in accordance with the regulations.
Identification plates and strips not transferable
12(3) No well drilling contractor shall transfer an identification plate or an annual validation strip to any other person.
Subsection 50(2) and (3):
Work under supervision of another professional
50(2) As an exception to subsection (1), if a well or test hole is constructed, sealed or partially sealed under the supervision of a professional engineer or professional geoscientist, the engineer or geoscientist is responsible for preparing and providing the report.
Report must also be given to contractor
50(3) A person required to prepare a report under this section must — unless the person is the well drilling contractor or is employed by the well drilling contractor — also provide a copy of the report to the well drilling contractor performing the work, within the prescribed time.
Clause 86(3)(f):
Regulations — other matters
86(3) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations
(f) for the purpose of section 12, respecting the issuing of identification plates and annual validation strips, and requirements for affixing them;
Read the full text of Bill 24, The Red Tape Reduction and Government Efficiency Act, 2017.
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