Water Quality Testing
The quality of treated drinking water throughout the water distribution system is closely monitored. The results of all the tests indicate that the drinking water is of very high quality. It complies fully with the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality.

Residual Chlorine levels
The City’s conducts a routine monitoring program to measure residual chlorine levels within the network of water pipes. It is measured at locations spread out within the distribution system, with an average frequency of twice a week. The purpose is to ensure that there is sufficient amount of chlorine in the system to kill any bacteria that may be present. In addition to the current field monitoring program, equipment is installed at the chlorination stations for continuous monitoring at the points of treatment.

Physical and chemical analysis
A monitoring program has been developed such that the physical and chemical characteristics of treated drinking water will be analyzed for quality control purpose. In addition to this complete spectrum analysis monitoring program, the City is working on developing a more frequent monitoring program for indicating parameters like turbidity, temperature, conductivity, taste, odour and pH.

Bacterial sampling for the Health Authority
The City of Campbell River is collecting samples to test for presence of bacteria under the direction of the Vancouver Island Health Authority (a branch of the Provincial Ministry of Health Services). Samples taken from different areas of the distribution system are collected weekly; about 40 samples are collected monthly on average. The samples are sent by the Environmental Health Officers to the BC Centre for Disease Control for analysis.

Water Quality Programs

SCADA
The City is in the process of implementing a state of the art SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) alarm system that will allow access to remote monitoring, control and data acquisition. This will replace the current telemetry system. Although the existing alarm telemetry system is operating satisfactorily it is currently only connected to the City’s sewage lift stations and treatment facilities. The existing system does not have remote monitoring or data acquisition capabilities and there are a limited number of alarm points connected at each site.

Emergency Response Planning
The purpose of the plan is to guide the City of Campbell River in the event of an emergency to provide an effective response, which ensures that water quality and public health are not compromised in the event of an emergency. The Plan will also ensure that adequate water for fire fighting is available and will act to protect the natural environment from impacts associated with the system operation in the event of an emergency.

Water Supply Planning
As a result of its continuing efforts to meet the water supply needs of the future, the City has undertaken a series of studies to identify system deficiencies and required improvements. In 1996 and 2000, the City engaged an engineering consultant to conduct water supply and quality studies and prepared a comprehensive long-term water supply plan. The purpose of the studies was to create a plan for upgrading the existing water supply system. The reports prepared cover water quality and source development; water treatment; and water transmission and distribution system upgrades and expansion. The City is constantly reviewing its needs and updating the long-term water supply plan. Adjustments are made to the plan in response to the receipt of new information and the change of City priorities on water quality.

Disinfection By-products Study
The Ministry of Water land and Air Protection in partnership with the University of Victoria’s Center for Environmental Management of Drinking Water selected Campbell River as one of the communities to participate in a disinfection by-product (DBP) study. This study began in 2004 and tested the distribution system for two types of disinfection by-products (DBP) s; trihalomethanes (THM) and Haloaceticacids (HAAs). The level of THMs and HAAs were monitored three times throughout the year at various points in the distribution. The THM and HAA levels are generally highest in the summer and lowest in the winter.

The concentration of THMs and HAAs gradually increases further into the distribution system and away from the source as the chlorine has time to react with the organic matter in the water. The levels experienced in the distribution system are far below the targets due to the low levels of total organic carbon in the source water. The study also examined the linkage between source water, water treatment and human health concerns related to disinfection byproducts This graph depicts the data results of DBP levels in the drinking water.