Water Sampling & Results

All water suppliers in British Columbia are required to monitor water that reaches consumers for total coliform bacteria and Escherichia coli (E.coli) regularly. The monitoring is one part of a comprehensive approach to safe drinking water.

Water suppliers in the Island Health region are supported through a provincial water sampling program.  Water sample requisitions are provided to the water supplier and water samples can be dropped off at Environmental Public Health locations. These samples are delivered to the BC Centre for Disease Control for processing and water supply systems samples results are posted publicly.

• The presence of E. coli in a water sample indicates that bacteria capable of causing illness may be present in the water system.
• The presence of total coliform bacteria may indicate a breakdown in the treatment process, or growth in the distribution system. 

Water Sampling & Results

Find Capital Regional District (CRD) owned and operated water supply systems sample results.

Find drinking water results. Data starts from January 2009 onward, so some locations will not list results right away.

For more information or to access sample results prior to January 2009, please call your local Environmental Health Office.

Acceptable Sample Results

The following results are considered acceptable for drinking water:

E. Coli

• No E. Coli detectable per 100 ml of each water sample.

Coliform

• If only one sample is taken in a 30-day period:
  •  
    • No detectable Coliform per 100 ml of water
• If more than one sample is taken in a 30-day period:
  •  
    • At least 90% of samples will have no detectable Coliform per 100 ml of water, and
    • No sample has more than 10 total Coliform per 100ml of water

Interpreting Sample Reports

Results of  drinking water sampling are reported using the following coding system:

• L1    Less than 1 (no detectable bacteria) – Meaning: No bacteria present
• OG   Overgrown – Meaning: Too many background bacteria to give an accurate count
• EST  Estimated Count 
  and
• A      Sample not tested; Too long in transit
• C      Sample leaked/broken in transit
• D      Sample not tested; No collection date given
• T      Sample submitted unsatisfactory. Exceeded   30  hours holding time, please resample.
• NS   No sample received with requisition 

If you have questions or want more information regarding your water system, call your local Environmental Health Office.

Governance

In BC, drinking water systems are governed under the Drinking Water Protection Act (the Act) and Drinking Water Protection Regulation (the Regulation).

Homeowners and Landlords

Independent well owners or property owners with a private water supply are responsible for their own potable water and can submit water samples to independent labs for analysis. The Office of the Provincial Health Officer accredits laboratories for total coliform and E. coli testing and these labs can be found here. Landlords are responsible for providing potable water to rental accommodations (i.e. suites, apartments, single-family dwellings) as a requirement of the Health Hazard Regulation and they can also submit water samples to an independent lab for analysis.