Report to: General Committee Report Date: February 23, 2009

SUBJECT: Annual Water Quality Report (January – December, 2008)

PREPARED BY: Karen Dennison, M. Eng., P. Eng., Ext. 2519

Waterworks, Manager of System Engineering

Helena Dutaud, Ext. 2449

Waterworks, Water Quality Coordinator

RECOMMENDATION:

1) That the 2008 Annual Summary Report to Council as required by Schedule 22 of Ontario Regulation 170/03 enclosed herein be received; and,

2) That the Annual 2008 Regulatory Water Quality Report (Attachment “A”), containing information for the Ministry of the Environment on water supply and quality as required by Section 11 of Ontario Regulation 170/03, be received; and,

3) That Council directs staff to post the Annual 2008 Detailed Regulatory Water Quality Report on the Town’s website and that it be made available and provided to residents upon request in hard copy version on or before February 28, 2009; and further,

4) That Staff be authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

The annual report enclosed herein, informs and updates Council on the quality of water delivered through the drinking water system to the residents of Markham during the past year (2008).

Any issues regarding drinking water quality in Markham during the period from January 1 to December 31, 2008 are detailed as required under Ontario Regulation 170/03.

The report to Council is a summary of the detailed technical annual report (enclosed as Attachment ‘A’). The detailed report (Attachment ‘A’) will be posted on Markham’s web site and made available to the public on or before February 28, 2008.

Markham purchased 34, 633,944 m3 of water over 366 days from the Region of York and distributed it to customers. Representative water quality sampling was undertaken throughout the distribution system and analyzed according to O. Reg 170/03. In total sixteen (16) adverse water quality incidents were reported to the MOE during 2008 (out of 10, 251 tests, 0.16%). Fourteen (14) were for the presence of bacteria (total coliform); one (1) for deficient chlorine; and one (1) was observation incident due to a severe watermain break condition.

Throughout 2008, the Markham drinking water system was well maintained, proactively managed and delivered high quality of water to the residents.

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:

Not applicable

1. Purpose 2. Background 3. Discussion 4. Financial

5. Others (Environmental, Accessibility, Engage 21st, Affected Units) 6. Attachment(s)

PURPOSE:

To inform Council, as owner of the drinking water system, on the quality of drinking water provided in 2008 to the residents in Markham through the water distribution system and in doing so meet the requirements of Ontario Regulation 170/03 Schedule 22.

To inform Council on the more detailed technical annual water quality report (included as Attachment”A”) prepared and intended to be made available to the public on or before February 28, 2009. This annual report details the drinking water system, sampling activity, corrective action and any major expenses undertaken in 2008.

BACKGROUND:

In order to meet Regulatory requirements and to strengthen customer confidence in the Town’s drinking water quality supply, Waterworks has prepared annual update reports on the status of drinking water quality in Markham as described below.

The 2008 Annual Summary Report to Council, enclosed herein, is intended to inform Council on the performance of the Water Distribution System over the past year and to provide information which meets Ontario Regulation 170/03 concerning Markham’s Drinking Water Distribution System.

Enclosed as Attachment “A”, the Annual 2008 Detailed Regulatory Water Quality Report which is intended to be a stand alone detailed technical and statistical report summarizing the 2008 existing water distribution system, results of tests, corrective actions and any major expenses. The Regulation also requires that this report be made available to the public free of charge in hard copy and be posted on the Town of Markham’s website on or before February 28, 2009.

2008 Drinking Water System Information:

The Town of Markham system is strictly a distribution system. We do not operate any treatment plants and therefore the rated capacity of our system as requested by the MOE is not applicable. The Region of York receives treated water from the City of Toronto and the Region of Peel, stores and supplies it to various municipalities including Markham through trunk watermains. The Town of Markham purchases its water entirely from the Region of York, the Town of Markham distributes this water to its residents through metered connections.

Water Supplied During 2008:

The Town of Markham purchased 34,633,944 m³ of water over 366 days from the Region of York through 15 metered connections. This amounts to a monthly average of 2,886,162 m³/month. The per capita usage in 2008 was 322 l/capita/day (0.322 m³/capita/day).

Drinking Water Quality Sampling Results:

Ontario’s Drinking Water Systems Regulation (O.Reg.170/03) requires all drinking water system owners to collect and test a minimum prescribed number of representative water quality samples. It further requires that drinking water system owners prepare an annual report (in MOE format) on the operation and the quality of drinking water within their jurisdictional boundaries. Markham Waterworks Department has complied with this requirement.

During the period January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008 the total number of water samples collected and tested by Waterworks Operators was 10,251. These samples are tested for the presence of bacteria (Escheria Coli, Total Coliforms, and Heterotrophic Plate Count), for chemical analysis (Trihalomethanes, Lead (Pb), Nitrate & Nitrite, organic chemical scan and inorganic chemical scan) and for chlorine residuals as required. Sodium and Fluoride concentrations were not tested in 2008 as this test is required every 5 years and was tested last in 2005.

For the calendar year January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008; an annual regulatory report was prepared (MOE format) in January 2008 on the Markham Water Distribution System and is attached as Attachment “A”. This report will be posted prior to February 28, 2009 as required by the Regulation. In this report, we are detailing the sixteen (16) adverse sampling results/incidents which are summarized below:

In 2008, there were 16 reports of adverse water quality incidents (out of 10, 251 samples) which did not meet the Ontario’s Drinking Water Systems Regulation (O. Reg. 170/03) required parameters. Fourteen (14) incidents were for the presence of bacteria; one (1) for deficient chlorine residual and one (1) was an observation incident as a result of severe watermain break condition.

As part of our due diligence, Markham proactively reports severe watermain breaks to the Ministry of the Environment and the Public Health Department when water directed to the public may have adverse properties as a result of the watermain break. A severe watermain break is created by the collapse of the pipe wall resulting in entry of dirt in the watermain. Following every watermain repair, regardless of its severity, Waterworks initiates a procedure to test a water sample for microbial contamination. These proactive steps could lead to an increase in the number of reported adverse water quality incidents but they are necessary to enable faster response to potential adverse conditions, and to ensure that the Town maintains compliance with the requirement to report observation incidents, other than an adverse test result, that indicates that disinfection has not been maintained.

Adverse Water Quality – Presence of Bacteria

Of the fourteen (14) samples with adverse results for bacteria testing; all fourteen samples tested positive for total coliform. The detection of coliform in water samples is considered to be a general indicator of water quality. The Heterotrophic Plate Count (HPC) test is a method of measuring the aerobic bacterial content in water. Markham’s past experience has been that the bacterial presence in water samples was a result of external influences rather than being caused by the water supply itself.

Upon being notified by YDREL that a given sample did not meet the water quality regulations for bacteria, Waterworks operators notified the York Region Medical Officer of Health (MOH) and the Ministry of the Environment (MOE), flushed the affected parts of the water distribution system and re-sampled the water at the affected sites as well as at upstream and downstream locations until satisfactory results were achieved.

Four (4) of the fourteen samples that tested positive for bacteria (total coliform) were resample failures. Corrective Action continues to flush then re-sample the water at the affected sites as well as at upstream and downstream location until satisfactory results were achieved.

Adverse Water Quality – Deficient Chlorine Residual

For the one (1) sample with adverse results for deficient chlorine residual, notification was sent by Waterworks to both the MOE and York Region Public Health Department (Ministry of Health). The system was then flushed until acceptable chlorine residual was established and results were recorded.

Waterworks continues to undertake a program of dead-end flushing and maintenance of chlorine in the distribution system for secondary disinfection of drinking water. In 2008, twelve (12) automatic flushing stations were added, bringing the total to twenty (20) auto-flushing stations in Markham’s distribution system. Optimizing the dead end flushing program increases the quality of water throughout the distribution system

Adverse Water Quality – Deficient Chlorine Residual/Observation

For the one (1) observation incident (during the severe watermain break occurrence) reported as an adverse result, notification was sent by Waterworks to both the MOE and York Region Public Health Department (Ministry of Health). The system was then flushed until acceptable chlorine residuals were established and a water sample was taken and tested for microbial contamination following the repair of the break.

For more detailed information on sampling results and water quality compliance, please refer to Attachment “A” – Annual 2008 Detailed Regulatory Water Quality Report.

5 Year Trending of Water Sampling:

Conclusions:

The drinking water distributed to the Town of Markham residents in 2008 continues to be of high quality. The total number of samples increased as a result of an increase in lead samples taken under the Community Lead Testing Program (as a result of the changes made in 2007 to the drinking water regulation). During the operation of the water distribution system during 2008, there were very few adverse reports (0.16% of all system tests undertaken) and these were immediately resolved. The drinking water system is maintained by Waterworks with continual improvements and programs in place to ensure water quality.

In 2008, the Town implemented a Quality Management System (QMS) which complies with the MOE Drinking Water Quality Management Standard (DWQMS) as required under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Compliance is required on order to achieve accreditation and operate the Drinking Water System.

One of the DWQMS components specifically addresses the documentation of system sampling, monitoring and testing processes of the drinking water system. The QMS will enhance the effectiveness and performance of our current processes through standarization of procedures and documentation.

Attachment A: Annual 2009 Detailed Regulatory Water Quality Report

The format for the Annual Detailed Regulatory Water Quality Report intended to be made public on or before February 28, 2009 was established by the Ministry of the Environment.

This report is attached as Attachment “A” and was prepared in January 2008. The contents include:

1. A brief description of the drinking water system.

2. A description of where the report will be located and made available to the public.

3. A summary of water quality testing results for microbiological, inorganic chemical, and organic chemical parameters.

4. A summary of adverse water quality reports.

5. Identification of the laboratory that Markham is using for regulatory testing

(York Region Environmental Laboratory).

The Town of Markham has met the Regulation 170/03 submission dates and requirements of reporting.

1. Purpose 2. Background 3. Discussion 4. Financial

5. Others (Environmental, Accessibility, Engage 21st, Affected Units) 6. Attachment(s)

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND TEMPLATE: (external link)

Not Applicable

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS:

Not Applicable

ACCESSIBILITY CONSIDERATIONS:

Not Applicable

ENGAGE 21^ST CONSIDERATIONS:

The 2008 Annual Water Quality Report on the drinking water system meets legislative requirements and is consistent with the Town’s corporate goals of Infrastructure Management and Quality Community.

The program enhances several key Waterworks service delivery components:

· Proactive and preventative strategies to identify and manage risks to public health;

· Continuous Improvement of Waterworks activities and service delivery;

BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:

Not Applicable

RECOMMENDED BY:

_________________________

Jerry Klaus,

General Manager, Waterworks

_________________________

Peter Loukes, P. Eng.

Director, Operations

ATTACHMENTS:

Attachment “A”— Annual 2008 Detailed Regulatory Water Quality Report

Q:\Commission Share\Operations and Asset Management\Reports\2009\Waterworks\ Water Quality Report\2008 Annual Water Quality Report (Jan – Dec 2008).doc