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Document ID ca-gwpdw-2022-09-7 Title Guidance on waterborne pathogens in drinking water URL https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/managing-pollution/sources-industry/pulp-paper-effluent.html Jurisdiction /ca Subdomain(s) none Language Status completed Analyzed at 2026-05-13 14:52:51.151970+00:00 Relevance inventory_targeted_fetch

55 Qualitative 39 Quantitative 46 Definitions

Q Qualitative Requirements (55)

Req ID	Category	Intent	Legal Status	Name	Subdomain(s)	Context	Conditions	Confidence
#Q001	prohibition	unknown	mandatory	Prohibition of acutely lethal effluent	wastewater, aquatic life	The Regulations do not allow the deposit of any effluent that is acutely lethal to fish.		high
#Q002	monitoring	operational	mandatory	Environmental effects monitoring studies	wastewater, aquatic life	Under these regulations, pulp and paper mills are required to conduct environmental effects monitoring studies to identify and investigate potential effects from mill effluent.		high
#Q003	operational	operational	mandatory	Monitoring equipment installation and maintenance	wastewater	They also impose additional requirements on owners and operators such as: installation, maintenance, calibration and recordkeeping for monitoring equipment		high
#Q004	reporting	reporting	mandatory	Monthly effluent and production reporting	wastewater	They also impose additional requirements on owners and operators such as: identifying information and monthly reporting of effluent and production information		high
#Q005	reporting	reporting	mandatory	Notification of test failure or non-compliance	wastewater	They also impose additional requirements on owners and operators such as: notification for a test result that fails or does not comply with the regulations	When a test result fails or does not comply with the regulations	high
#Q006	corrective_action	treatment	mandatory	Remedial plan for acute lethality failure	wastewater, aquatic life	They also impose additional requirements on owners and operators such as: preparation and annual update of remedial plan for elimination of all unauthorized deposits of deleterious substances where effluent fails an acute lethality test	where effluent fails an acute lethality test	high
#Q007	operational	operational	mandatory	Emergency response plan	wastewater	They also impose additional requirements on owners and operators such as: preparation of an emergency response plan that is readily available to those authorized to implement the plan		high
#Q008	reporting	reporting	mandatory	Information on outfall structures	wastewater	They also impose additional requirements on owners and operators such as: information on outfall structures and effluents deposited through them		high
#Q009	monitoring	operational	mandatory	Compliance with EEM studies	wastewater, aquatic life	They also impose additional requirements on owners and operators such as: compliance with requirements for environmental effects monitoring studies		high
#Q010	administrative	operational	mandatory	Authorization to combine effluents	wastewater	They also impose additional requirements on owners and operators such as: authorization to combine effluents		high
#Q011	corrective_action	reporting	mandatory	Reports and sampling for detrimental deposits	wastewater, aquatic life	They also impose additional requirements on owners and operators such as: written reports and additional sampling for a deposit detrimental to fish, fish habitat or the use of fish by humans.	For a deposit detrimental to fish, fish habitat or the use of fish by humans	high
#Q012	administrative	reporting	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
#Q013	monitoring	operational	recommended	Multi-parametric risk management strategies	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.	Applicable to utilities and building owners	high
#Q014	monitoring	operational	recommended	Source water assessment criteria	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
#Q015	monitoring	operational	recommended	Subsurface source assessment minimums	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.	Applicable to subsurface sources	high
#Q016	treatment	treatment	recommended	Primary disinfection 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 requirements when using ultraviolet (UV) disinfection	Standard treatment operation	high
#Q017	operational	treatment	mandatory	Disinfectant residual maintenance	drinking water	Maintaining an effective disinfectant residual is essential to manage risks.	In the distribution system	high
#Q018	operational	health	recommended	Building water temperature controls	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)	Premise plumbing management	high
#Q019	operational	health	recommended	Reduction of contaminated aerosols	drinking water	reducing the formation and transmission of contaminated aerosols from system components such as cooling towers, showers, faucets, hot tubs and humidifiers.		high
#Q020	operational	treatment	recommended	Hot water tank temperature setting	drinking water	electric storage-type water heaters should be pre-set to a temperature of 60°C as a result of the temperature stratification that can occur with this type of heater.	Applicable to electric storage-type water heaters	high
#Q021	operational	health	recommended	Nasal rinse water safety	drinking water	individuals should ensure that they conduct nasal rinses using water that has been boiled and cooled, or distilled water.	Consumer practice to prevent Naegleria fowleri infection	high
#Q022	monitoring	operational	guidance	Source water nutrient characterization	drinking water	surface and subsurface sources should be characterized with regard to organic and inorganic nutrient concentrations	As part of source water assessment	high
#Q023	treatment	treatment	recommended	Treatment optimization for turbidity and NOM	drinking water	optimize treatment performance for turbidity and natural organic matter removal		high
#Q024	administrative	operational	recommended	Operator training requirement	drinking water	provide operator training to assure the effectiveness of the water safety plan at all times.		high
#Q025	operational	operational	recommended	Distribution system cleaning and maintenance	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
#Q026	administrative	reporting	recommended	Regulatory consultation for cooling towers	drinking water	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).	For systems with cooling towers	high
#Q027	administrative	operational	recommended	Expert consultation for supplemental disinfection	drinking water	A water treatment professional should be consulted before applying any supplemental disinfection.	Applicable to buildings/large plumbing systems	high
#Q028	operational	health	recommended	Vulnerable system chlorine residual target	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	Systems vulnerable to N. fowleri (temp > 25C)	high
#Q029	administrative	operational	recommended	Building Water Management Plans	drinking water	Building water management plans are the recommended best practice for building owners/managers.	Applicable to building water systems	high
#Q030	treatment	treatment	recommended	Nutrient Concentration Minimization	drinking water	minimize nutrient concentrations in treated water and have a good understanding of their concentrations in the distribution system	Part of water treatment plant operation	high
#Q031	treatment	operational	recommended	Scaling and Corrosion Minimization	drinking water	optimize treatment to minimize the amount of scaling and/or corrosion in the distribution system		high
#Q032	monitoring	reporting	recommended	Multi-parametric Performance Testing	drinking water	conduct performance testing using multiple parameters (e.g., disinfectant residual, microbiological indicators, pH, turbidity)	Standard treatment performance assessment	high
#Q033	operational	operational	recommended	Water Age and Temperature Management	drinking water	manage water age and the effects of temperature	In the distribution system	high
#Q034	operational	health	recommended	External 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
#Q035	design	operational	recommended	Mixing Valve Positioning	drinking water	Mixing valves should be positioned as close as possible to the point of use and provide access for maintenance and cleaning	Applicable to premise plumbing with thermostatic mixing valves	high
#Q036	operational	health	recommended	Hot Water System Minimum Temperature	drinking water	Maintaining a minimum hot water tank temperature of 60°C is a key threshold for reducing positive detection of Legionella in buildings	Building hot water systems	high
#Q037	monitoring	operational	recommended	Multi-parametric monitoring program for distribution systems	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	Applicable to drinking water distribution systems	high
#Q038	operational	treatment	recommended	Secondary disinfection residual balancing	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	When choosing secondary disinfectant for residual maintenance	high
#Q039	design	operational	recommended	Distribution system construction material standards	drinking water	use proper construction materials	Key distribution system operational and maintenance practices	high
#Q040	design	operational	recommended	Premise plumbing nutrient limitation	drinking water	limiting nutrient levels through an emphasis on system design and materials	Important elements of control strategies for plumbing systems	high
#Q041	operational	operational	recommended	Premise plumbing stagnation minimization	drinking water	minimizing areas of low flow/stagnation	Important elements of control strategies for plumbing systems	high
#Q042	treatment	operational	recommended	Biologically stable water production	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)		high
#Q043	administrative	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
#Q044	treatment	treatment	recommended	Secondary disinfection technology application	drinking water	properly apply secondary disinfection technologies (i.e., free chlorine or monochloramine) for residual maintenance in the distribution system		high
#Q045	corrective_action	treatment	recommended	Corrective actions for low residuals	drinking water	take preventive/corrective actions when low disinfectant residuals occur, particularly during warm water temperature conditions when biofilm growth accelerates	Occurs in the distribution system	high
#Q046	monitoring	operational	recommended	Site-specific monitoring risk assessment	drinking water	environmental monitoring at individual facilities should be informed by a site-specific risk assessment as part of a Water Management Plan	Applicable to individual facilities or buildings	high
#Q047	monitoring	health	recommended	Private well physical inspection and testing	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.	Applicable to residential-scale systems and private wells	high
#Q048	monitoring	health	recommended	Source water 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.	During source water assessment	high
#Q049	treatment	treatment	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 for residential systems	high
#Q050	operational	operational	recommended	Weekly plumbing flushing	drinking water	Guidance documents for building systems recommend minimum weekly flushing of low flow pipe runs, dead ends/dead legs and infrequently used fittings or outlets	Applicable to building water systems and premise plumbing	high
#Q051	operational	health	guidance	Enhanced flushing for at-risk individuals	drinking water	For buildings with larger numbers of at-risk individuals, more frequent flushing may be needed, as determined by the risk assessment	Buildings with at-risk populations	high
#Q052	operational	health	recommended	Care during plumbing flushing	drinking water	Care should be taken during plumbing flushing procedures.	During building flushing protocols	high
#Q053	administrative	health	recommended	Contact lens care guidance	drinking water	Individuals in the home who wear contact lenses should also follow guidance from their eye care providers on proper lens handling, cleaning and wear	Contact lens wearers in home settings	high
#Q054	operational	operational	recommended	Maintenance of plumbing fittings for NTM control	drinking water	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
#Q055	administrative	operational	mandatory	Distribution system management plan requirement	drinking water	Establish policies and operational goals designed to protect water quality in the distribution system	Water utility requirement	high

P Quantitative Requirements (39)

Req ID	Category	Intent	Legal Status	Name	Subdomain(s)	Limit Type	Limit Value	Context	Conditions	Confidence
#R001	chemical	operational	mandatory	Minimum disinfectant residual concentration	drinking water	requirement	> 0.2 mg/L	Required to control microbiological (re)growth in the distribution system		high
#R002	physical	health	mandatory	Hot water tank temperature	drinking water	requirement	60 °C	Storing hot water at temperatures below 60°C in hot water tanks and delivery systems may lead to growth of Legionella bacteria	Applies to electric storage-type water heaters and hot water storage	high
#R003	physical	health	mandatory	Tap water outlet temperature	drinking water	requirement	<= 49 °C	Water valves supplying showerheads and bathtubs should be capable of maintaining a water outlet temperature that does not exceed 49°C in order to reduce the risk of scalding	Applies at the tap/showerhead	high
#R004	microbiological	health	guideline	Legionella Action Level	drinking water	requirement	50,000 CFU/L	Warrants concern and should be considered an action level to trigger remedial activities		high
#R005	chemical	health	recommended	Free chlorine residual for N. fowleri control	drinking water	requirement	0.5 mg/L	Recommended for the control of N. fowleri in vulnerable drinking water systems	Throughout the distribution system	high
#R006	chemical	health	guideline	Chloramine residual for N. fowleri control	drinking water	requirement	> 1.5 mg/L	Suggested best practice for a chloramine residual throughout the distribution system is sufficient for N. fowleri control		high
#R007	chemical	operational	mandatory	Free chlorine residual for biofilm control	drinking water	requirement	1.0 mg/L	Required for controlling biofilm formation in chlorinating systems	For systems that chlorinate	high
#R008	chemical	operational	mandatory	Total chlorine residual for biofilm control	drinking water	requirement	1.8 mg/L	Required for controlling biofilm formation in chloraminating systems	For systems that chloraminate	high
#R009	physical	operational	recommended	Cold water temperature	drinking water	requirement	< 20 °C	Keeping cold water outside the ideal range for microorganism growth	Premise plumbing systems	high
#R010	physical	operational	recommended	Hot water temperature at distal points	drinking water	requirement	> 55 °C	Ideally maintained at distal points to reduce Legionella colonization	Premise plumbing distal points	high
#R011	chemical	operational	recommended	Free chlorine residual for Pseudomonas control	drinking water	requirement	> 0.3 mg/L	Useful for control of Pseudomonas spp. in bulk water		high
#R012	chemical	health	recommended	Free chlorine residual target for healthcare facilities	drinking water	requirement	0.3 - 0.5 mg/L	Recommended minimum disinfectant residual targets for Legionella control in healthcare facilities	Health-care facility plumbing systems	high
#R013	chemical	health	recommended	Monochloramine residual target for healthcare facilities	drinking water	requirement	1.5 mg/L	Recommended minimum disinfectant residual target for Legionella control in healthcare facilities	Health-care facility plumbing systems	high
#R014	physical	treatment	guidance	Thermal shock remediation temperature	drinking water	requirement	70 °C	Thermal shock duration of 30 minutes	Extreme remediation measure for building systems	high
#R015	microbiological	operational	guideline	Aeromonas target limit (Netherlands)	drinking water	requirement	< 1000 CFU/100 mL	Dutch drinking water legislation operational parameter	Based on treatment achievability, not public health significance	high
#R016	microbiological	health	guideline	EU Legionella action level	drinking water	MAC	1000 CFU/L	2020 European Union Drinking Water Directive	Applies in premise plumbing systems	high
#R017	chemical	treatment	guidance	Free chlorine CT for 2 log inactivation (biofilm-associated Legionella)	drinking water	treatment_goal	8.86 mg·min/L	Biofilm associated with PVC material at pH 8, 21 °C	L. pneumophila strain Philadelphia-1 serogroup 1	high
#R018	chemical	treatment	guidance	Monochloramine CT for 2 log inactivation (biofilm-associated Legionella)	drinking water	treatment_goal	17.16 mg·min/L	Biofilm associated with PVC material at pH 8, 21 °C	L. pneumophila strain Philadelphia-1 serogroup 1	high
#R019	chemical	treatment	guidance	Free chlorine CT for 3 log inactivation (biofilm-associated Legionella)	drinking water	treatment_goal	36.11 mg·min/L	Biofilm associated with PVC material at pH 8, 21 °C	L. pneumophila strain Philadelphia-1 serogroup 1	high
#R020	chemical	treatment	guidance	Free chlorine CT for 4 log inactivation (biofilm-associated Legionella)	drinking water	treatment_goal	63.67 mg·min/L	Biofilm associated with PVC material at pH 8, 21 °C	L. pneumophila strain Philadelphia-1 serogroup 1	high
#R021	chemical	treatment	guidance	Monochloramine CT for 3 log inactivation (biofilm-associated Legionella)	drinking water	treatment_goal	62.80 mg·min/L	Biofilm associated with PVC material at pH 8, 21 °C	L. pneumophila strain Philadelphia-1 serogroup 1	high
#R022	chemical	treatment	guidance	Monochloramine CT for 4 log inactivation (biofilm-associated Legionella)	drinking water	treatment_goal	108.44 mg·min/L	Biofilm associated with PVC material at pH 8, 21 °C	L. pneumophila strain Philadelphia-1 serogroup 1	high
#R023	physical	treatment	guidance	UV dose requirement for 4 log inactivation (Cryptosporidium/Giardia)	drinking water	treatment_goal	22 mJ/cm2	Standard UV dose credit requirement		high
#R024	physical	treatment	guidance	UV dose requirement for 4 log inactivation (Legionella pneumophila)	drinking water	treatment_goal	11 - 30 mJ/cm2	Range of doses for various strains		high
#R025	physical	treatment	guidance	UV dose requirement for 4 log inactivation (Naegleria fowleri cysts)	drinking water	treatment_goal	121 mJ/cm2			high
#R026	physical	treatment	guidance	UV dose requirement for 4 log inactivation (Acanthamoeba spp. cysts)	drinking water	treatment_goal	167 mJ/cm2			high
#R027	physical	treatment	guidance	UV dose requirement for 4 log inactivation (Adenovirus)	drinking water	treatment_goal	51 - 261 mJ/cm2			high
#R028	chemical	treatment	guideline	Aeromonas species Free Chlorine CT (2 log)	drinking water	requirement	0.2 - 1.4 mg·min/L	For 2 log inactivation at 5-25°C, pH 6-9		high
#R029	chemical	treatment	guideline	Pseudomonas species Free Chlorine CT (2 log)	drinking water	requirement	0.0073 - 4.3 mg·min/L	For 2 log inactivation at 5-25°C, pH 6-9		high
#R030	chemical	treatment	guideline	Enteric Bacteria (E. coli, etc) Free Chlorine CT (2 log)	drinking water	requirement	0.034 - 5.1 mg·min/L	Includes E. coli, Campylobacter, Helicobacter, Salmonella, and Yersinia	For 2 log inactivation at 5-25°C, pH 6-9	high
#R031	chemical	treatment	guideline	Enteric Viruses Free Chlorine CT (2 log)	drinking water	requirement	0.01 - 12 mg·min/L	For 2 log inactivation at 5-25°C, pH 6-9		high
#R032	chemical	treatment	guideline	Planktonic Legionella pneumophila Free Chlorine CT	drinking water	requirement	0.1 - 0.3 mg·min/L	For 3 to 4 log removal at 5-25°C, pH 6-9	Planktonic (freely floating) cells	high
#R033	chemical	treatment	guideline	Naegleria fowleri cysts Free Chlorine CT (4 log)	drinking water	requirement	31 - 37 mg·min/L	For 4 log removal at 5-25°C, pH 6-9		high
#R034	chemical	treatment	guideline	Giardia cysts Free Chlorine CT (2 log)	drinking water	requirement	25 - 99 mg·min/L	For 2 log inactivation at 5-25°C, pH 6-9		high
#R035	chemical	treatment	guideline	Mycobacterium avium Free Chlorine CT (3 log)	drinking water	requirement	51 - 1552 mg·min/L	For 3 log removal at 5-25°C, pH 6-9		high
#R036	chemical	treatment	guideline	Acanthamoeba species cysts Free Chlorine CT (2 log)	drinking water	requirement	1300 mg·min/L	For 2 log inactivation at 5-25°C, pH 6-9		high
#R037	operational	operational	recommended	Minimum Plumbing Flushing Frequency	drinking water	requirement	>= 1 time/week	For low flow pipe runs, dead ends/dead legs and infrequently used fittings or outlets	May be more frequent in high-risk buildings	high
#R038	microbiological	health	guideline	Legionella Action Level Range (Cooling Towers)	other	requirement	> 1,000 to > 1,000,000 CFU/L	Varying recommendations from numerous agencies for cooling towers		high
#R039	microbiological	health	guideline	Legionella Action Level Range (Potable Water)	drinking water	requirement	> 1,000 to > 10,000 CFU/L	Varying recommendations from numerous agencies for potable water systems		high

D Definitions (46)

Req ID	Name	Context	Confidence
#D001	AIDS	acquired immunodeficiency syndrome	high
#D002	AK	Acanthamoeba keratitis	high
#D003	ANSI	American National Standards Institute	high
#D004	ASHRAE	American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers	high
#D005	CDC	Centers for Disease Control and Prevention	high
#D006	CFU	colony forming units	high
#D007	CT	concentration (C) × time (T)	high
#D008	DAEC	diffuse adherent Escherichia coli	high
#D009	DNA	deoxyribonucleic acid	high
#D010	EAEC	enteroaggregative Escherichia coli	high
#D011	E. coli	Escherichia coli	high
#D012	EHEC	enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli	high
#D013	EIEC	enteroinvasive Escherichia coli	high
#D014	EPEC	enteropathogenic Escherichia coli	high
#D015	ESBL	extended spectrum β-lactamase	high
#D016	ETEC	enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli	high
#D017	EU	European Union	high
#D018	GAC	granulated activated carbon	high
#D019	GAE	granulomatous amoebic encephalitis	high
#D020	HIV	human immunodeficiency virus	high
#D021	HPC	heterotrophic plate count	high
#D022	HUS	hemolytic uremic syndrome	high
#D023	HVAC	heating, ventilation and air conditioning	high
#D024	IARC	International Agency for Research on Cancer	high
#D025	ISO	International Organization for Standardization	high
#D026	NASEM	National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine	high
#D027	NPC	National Plumbing Code (Canada)	high
#D028	NSF	NSF International	high
#D029	NTM	non-tuberculous mycobacteria	high
#D030	PAM	primary amebic meningoencephalitis	high
#D031	PCR	polymerase chain reaction	high
#D032	PHAC	Public Health Agency of Canada	high
#D033	POE	point-of-entry	high
#D034	POU	point-of-use	high
#D035	QMRA	quantitative microbial risk assessment	high
#D036	SCC	Standards Council of Canada	high
#D037	spp.	species	high
#D038	US EPA	United States Environmental Protection Agency	high
#D039	U.S.	United States	high
#D040	UV	ultraviolet	high
#D041	VBNC	viable but non-culturable	high
#D042	VTEC	verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli	high
#D043	WHO	World Health Organization	high
#D044	Subacute cases of diarrhea	those lasting from two weeks to two months	high
#D045	Groundwater	the water that fills the spaces between layers of soil, sand and rock in the ground	high
#D046	Aquifers	Areas that contain enough groundwater	high