PROVINCE MEETING COMMISSIONER LAING'S RECOMMENDATIONS

Saskatchewan is making good progress in following through on recommendations put forward by Commissioner Robert Laing.

On March 28th, 2002, Commissioner Laing completed his report on the inquiry into the North Battleford water incident. Premier Calvert called the commission after a cryptosporidium outbreak in the North Battleford drinking water system.

Commissioner Laing made 28 recommendations. The province accepted the recommendations directed at the government and to date has met or is in the process of meeting every one of them.

"Part of our success is because we are taking a source-to-tap approach," Environment Minister Buckley Belanger said. "It recognizes we must keep source water clean, ensure the treatment processes are appropriate, monitor and publicly report results and help communities find solutions to their water challenges."

Some key areas of progress include:

* Creation of the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority, within the mandate of Saskatchewan Environment, to help people better protect local water supplies;

* Re-focusing of SaskWater to concentrate on helping communities find appropriate solutions to their water treatment infrastructure challenges;

* Development of clearer, more effective regulations governing the management of waterworks;

* Revision of the Communicable Disease Control Manual used by the health regions to strengthen water-borne disease procedures;

* Improvement of water treatment plant operator training requirements;

* Addition of twenty new positions, since Walkerton, by Saskatchewan Environment to work with communities and waterworks owners/operators and Health and Health Regions have added 14 new positions for enhanced laboratory testing, working with communities and increased surveillance for communicable disease;

* Establishment of the Drinking Water Quality Section of Saskatchewan Environment to manage drinking water quality and related issues in the province;

* Development of a new database containing water testing compliance performance and quality results to be available to the public online in May;

* As of February 1st, 2003 there were 406 certified waterworks operators in the province compared to 164 in December 2001; and

* Between March 31st, 2001 and August 30th, 2002 compliance with bacteriological requirements for waterworks regulated by Saskatchewan Environment increased from 71 per cent to 81 per cent.

Under the Canada-Saskatchewan Infrastructure Program 42 water supply projects and 16 sewer projects with federal and provincial contributions worth $16.6 million were approved in 2001-2002. In 2002-03, 74 water and 27 sewer projects were approved in southern municipalities. Another 12 were approved in northern communities. Total federal and provincial funding for these projects was $32.3 million. Municipal governments also contributed over $11 million to the Canada-Saskatchewan Infrastructure Program, bringing the total investment in Saskatchewan communities to more than $60 million since 2001.

Successful applicants under this year's Canada Saskatchewan Infrastructure Program will be announced in April 2003.

"Ensuring that we have safe, reliable drinking water now and into the future presents many challenges," Belanger said. "We are making good progress, but we must stay vigilant. The key is co-operation and communication between all levels of government and the public."

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For More Information, Contact:

Art Jones Environment Regina Phone: (306)787-5796 Email: ajones@serm.gov.sk.ca Cell: (306) 536-8452