Bill C-664
If you have any questions or comments regarding the accessibility of this publication, please contact us at accessible@parl.gc.ca.
2nd Session, 41st Parliament,
62-63-64 Elizabeth II, 2013-2014-2015
house of commons of canada
BILL C-664
An Act to amend the Department of Health Act (drinking water standards)
Whereas the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Committee on Drinking Water is a national committee that includes representatives of the federal, provincial and territorial governments;
Whereas the role of the Committee is to protect the quality of drinking water in Canada, and includes developing and publishing the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality;
Whereas the Minister of Health is involved in the work of the Committee;
1996, c. 8
Now, therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:
1. The Department of Health Act is amended by adding the following after section 5:
Development of drinking water standards
5.1 (1) The Minister must, in collaboration with representatives of the provincial and territorial governments responsible for providing safe drinking water, develop drinking water standards in order to provide the cleanest and safest drinking water possible.
Publication of standards
(2) The standards referred to in subsection (1) must be published on the departmental website.
Definition of “member country”
5.2 (1) In this section, “member country” means a country that is a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and includes a subdivision of such a country.
Initial review of standards of member countries
(2) The Minister must, within three years after the day on which this section comes into force, review all standards on drinking water that have been adopted by member countries.
Annual review of standards of member countries
(3) The Minister must, within three months after the end of each calendar year, review all standards on drinking water that were adopted by a member country in the previous calendar year.
Duty to inform
(4) If the Minister is of the opinion that standards on drinking water that have been adopted by a member country provide a greater level of public health protection than the standards referred to in section 5.1 and that it would be in the best interests of Canadians to modify the latter standards, the Minister must, as soon as practicable, so inform the appropriate representatives of the provincial and territorial governments.
Published under authority of the Speaker of the House of Commons