Small drinking water system owners need to have qualified individuals to operate their systems. These systems are regulated under the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) and the Ministry of Health (MOH), depending on their type.
In circumstances where there is a staffing shortage of qualified individuals,
the Operator Workforce Matching Portal can aid in connecting system owners with qualified water operators who are available for employment.
Follow these links for more information:
The table below lists the different types of small drinking water systems that are regulated under Ontario Regulation 170/03 of the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the type of certificate or designation that qualified individuals need to have. Click on the links to find out how you can become certified to operate these systems.
| System/Facility Type | If serviced by a … | Requires the following Certificate / Designation (at a minimum)* |
|
Residential development with less than 101 private residences |
Small municipal residential system – groundwater only | Limited System Certificate (groundwater) |
| Small municipal residential system – surface water | Class 1 – 4 Water Treatment Certificate | |
| Residential development, trailer park or camp ground with more than 5 service connections | Non-municipal year round residential system |
Limited System Certificate (or relevant OIT certificate*) |
| School, private school, day nursery, children’s camp, children and youth care facility, health/social care facility, health care seniors’ facility, social care facility, delivery agent care facility, university or college | Large non-municipal non-residential system that serves a designated facility | |
| Large municipal non-residential system that serves a designated facility | ||
| Small non-municipal non-residential system that serves a designated facility |
|
|
| Small municipal non-residential system that serves a designated facility | ||
| Non-municipal seasonal residential system that serves a designated facility |
*A drinking water OIT may operate a limited subsystem only if they are under the supervision of an Overall Responsible Operator and Operator-in-Charge who holds or is deemed to hold a limited subsystem certificate for that type of limited subsystem.
*Operational checks for chlorine residual and turbidity can be performed by a Supervised Person for the system categories listed above.
There are other types of small drinking water systems that are regulated under Ontario Regulation 319/08 of the Health Protection and Promotion Act. These include:
- Large municipal non-residential drinking water systems that serve such facilities as municipally-owned airports and industrial parks, and large sports and recreation facilities;
- Small municipal non-residential drinking water systems that serve such facilities as small community centres, libraries, and sports and recreation facilities;
- Non-municipal seasonal residential drinking water systems that serve such facilities as private cottages on communal drinking water systems;
- Large non-municipal non-residential drinking water systems that serve such facilities as large motels and resorts; and
- Small non-municipal non-residential drinking water systems that serve such facilities as motels, restaurants, gas stations, churches, and bed and breakfasts.
For more information about the requirements to operate the small systems listed above, contact your local public health unit. To learn more, visit the Small Drinking Water Systems section of the Ministry of Health website at http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/common/system/services/phu/locations.aspx.
The following guidance documents can help you understand various aspects of the Drinking Water and Wastewater Operator Certification Program.