Since 1974, West Coast Environmental Law (WCEL) has provided legal services to members of the public concerned about harm to the environment. WCEL supports the introduction of new water protection legislation. The establishment of a legal mechanism to protect drinking water is long overdue. In 1994, the government issued a set of discussion papers titled Stewardship of the Water of British Columbia.[1] Since then, few changes have been made.
In March 1999, the provincial Auditor-General released a report “Protecting Drinking Water Sources” (the Auditor’s Report) that made a number of recommendations regarding effective protection of drinking water in BC. The Auditor’s Report, combined with the tragedy in Walkerton, Ontario and increasing public concern over drinking water quality lead to the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks release of the “Drinking Water Protection Plan” (the Provincial Plan) in January, 2001.
While the Provincial Plan includes several practical steps that should mitigate drinking water contamination in BC, additional regulatory changes are clearly needed to protect drinking water in BC.
This report expands on the WCEL-BCEN report of June 2000, and provides detailed comments on how the province can improve legal protection for water so that it is safe to drink. The report discusses:
1. Essential elements of a right to clean water,
2. The Plan and WCEL’s response to the Plan’s proposals, and
3. Other regulatory changes required for safe drinking water.