Grace Period Extended on New Water Rules in Saskatchewan
Less than a week after saying the regulations would come into effect in June, Northern Affairs Minister Buckley Belanger said the NDP coalition will bring them in by September.
He made his comments after meeting with Mike Badham, the president of the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA), who said afterward that some communities may have to accept it's just too expensive to provide clean tap water.
Belanger, who is also responsible for SaskWater, said the government hopes municipalities will have a clear understanding of the regulations by June. He said they will be in place by September. The province and SUMA have agreed to set up a committee to oversee their implementation.
"We want to make sure every municipal leader out there is aware of the rules and the repercussions," said the minister, who stressed charges will be laid in extremely rare cases when people "knowingly and arbitrarily threaten public health."
"I've said time and time again we will work very closely with all the organizations, villages and towns and cities to make sure they know those rules."
Saskatchewan Party MLA Carl Kwiatkowski said Belanger is confusing municipalities by giving out mixed messages on the issue of water regulation.
"(Municipal) councillors in my constituency want to know what they are expected to do and when do they have to do it. They also want to know what the province will give them to help do it and what happens if they don't. We need some clear answers about what the expectations are going to be."
In his report on the North Battleford water crisis, Justice Robert Laing recommended the government replace the operators of water treatment plants in the event of "persistent non-compliance by a municipality" and make it an offence to knowingly operate a water treatment plant in contravention of provincial law.
Under the Environmental Management and Protection Act, the government can charge municipalities. The province is beefing up the act by turning guidelines on bacteria and turbidity levels into regulations. As well, communities could be charged if they fail to notify the Environment Department of a major equipment failure.
There are 43 communities in Saskatchewan operating with water advisories and boil water orders. According to a SaskWater report released last year, 121 communities have deficient treatment systems. Badham said municipalities were concerned about the warning that criminal charges could be laid in some cases.
"I can tell you right now, the mayors of this province are not going to jail (for running a deficient water system) nor are elected officials in jeopardy for doing what's expected of them."
On Friday, the province and the federal government will announce more funding for water projects under the Canada Saskatchewan Infrastructure Program.
Badham said the infrastructure money is insufficient -- the SaskWater reports say it could cost $300 million to bring all water systems in the province up to standard -- but he said the government may be able to provide technical advice which could assist communities.
Source: Saskatoon StarPhoenix