A “public drinking water supply” means a water supply system, including any source, intake, treatment, storage, transmission or distribution, that provides water used for human consumption and that
- has at least 15 service connections,
- regularly serves 25 or more persons per day for at least 60 days of the year, or
- serves any of the following for at least 60 days of the year:
- a day care facility licensed in accordance with the Day Care Act,
- a food establishment that requires an eating establishment permit or seasonal eating establishment permit under the Food Safety Regulations made under the Health Protection Act;
- a commercial property for the accommodation of the travelling or vacationing public comprising land used for camping or for overnight parking of recreational vehicles or containing a separate building or buildings containing at least 1 room to be used as an alternate form of accommodation in a campground,
- a commercial property for the accommodation of the travelling or vacationing public containing more than 4 rental units, including cottages or cabins;
"Water used for human consumption” includes water used for drinking, bathing, showering, oral hygiene, cooking, food preparation or dishwashing.
General Information
- Overview of the new Public Drinking Water Supply Program
- Operator Certification and Classification Certificate (for water and wastewater facilities)
- Safe Drinking Water for Public Water Systems
Water Testing
Public drinking water supplies are required to use an approved laboratory for water quality testing. To be approved, a laboratory must meet the requirements of the "Policy on Acceptable Certification of Laboratories
(PDF:248k)".
- Water Testing Labs in Nova Scotia
- Microbiological Sampling - Basic Procedures (PDF:243k)
- Sample Collection and Preservation: Chemical/Physical Quality and Microbiological Quality
Types of Public Drinking Water Supplies
There are two types of public drinking water supplies: registered water supplies and municipal water supplies. There are approximately 1600 registered public drinking water supplies and 85 municipal water supplies in Nova Scotia.