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Drinking Water
Public Health Inspectors work to ensure that you have access to safe drinking water.
Well Water
All private home owners should test their well water 3-4 times per year to ensure that it is safe for drinking.
Water sampling bottles can be picked up at the Sault Ste. Marie Public Health Lab located at 160 McDougald Street or at any Algoma Public Health office. If you have any concerns with your water contact your local Algoma Public Health office.
How to Taking a Water Sample
Remove all attachments from the faucet including the aerator, rubber washer and any hoses
Make sure to disinfect the tap with alcohol or plain bleach (5.25% sodium hypochloride)
Run cold water tap for a minimum of 5 minutes
Unscrew cap from water sample bottle
Be sure not to contaminate the inside of the cap or the neck of the sample bottle with your fingers
Fill bottle to 200ml water line indicated on bottle
Screw cap on tightly
Place filled bottle into an insulated cooler with ice pack and transport to the nearest drop off location
Note: All laboratories must receive water samples within 24 hours of the sampling date. All late submissions will not be tested.
Water Quality Tests
Total Coliforms: This group of bacteria is always present in animal wastes and sewage, but is also found in soil and on vegetation. The presence of these bacteria may indicate surface water entering your well.
Escherichia coli (E. Coli): These bacteria are found only in the digestive systems of people and animals. Their presence in your well is usually the result of sewage contamination from a nearby source.
| Total Coliforms | E. Coli | What it Means |
| 0 | 0 | SAFE for drinking. Maintain regular testing |
| 1 - 5 | 0 |
Three samples with these results, collected 1 to 3 weeks apart, indicate a bacteriologically SAFE supply if the supply is protected and located at least 15 m (50 ft) for a drilled well or 30 m (100 ft) for other types of wells from any source of human or animal waste. Repeat samples may not show exactly the same results because bacteria are not distributed uniformly in water. Contamination tends to enter intermittently. |
| 6 to > 80 | 0 | UNSAFE for drinking unless boiled or treated. Common with new wells before disinfection and shallow dug wells which are not properly sealed. |
| 1 to > 80 | 1 to > 60 |
UNSAFE for drinking unless boiled or treated. The water is contaminated and should not be used for drinking under any circumstances. The contamination is likely due to wastes from human or animal origin. |
| Est | UNSAFE for drinking unless boiled or treated. Number has been estimated due to some interference with the test. Exact number is not really critical, especially if in excess of limits shown above, for judging safety. | |
| NDOGN | UNSAFE for drinking unless boiled or treated. No Data Overgrown with Non-target is considered overgrown with background bacteria, i.e., organisms often found in the environment, with no evidence of Total Coliform or E. coli. However, this heavy load of background bacteria can interfere with the detection of coliforms and/or E. coli. This condition may occur with new wells, dug wells receiving soil drainage, or wells which have been idle for some time. | |
| NDOGT | UNSAFE for drinking unless boiled or treated. No Data Overgrown with target – overgrown levels of bacteria with evidence of Total Coliforms and/or E. coli . |
Do not attempt to apply these interpretations to surface water used for swimming!
Date of Creation: June 1, 2015
Last Modified: June 1, 2015
Remediation
All home owners have a responsibility to know their water source when operating a private water system. Residence not serviced by a municipal water system in the District of Algoma primarily draw water from a ground water source or nearby water body.
In the event that remediation to your well is required it is advised by APH to start by ensuring that your system is still properly constructed.
How to Chlorinate Your Well
Know Your Well
- Removing a drilled well cap can be hazardous to your health. The top of the well can be very sharp. The electrical wires can become frayed, leading to both a risk of electrocution and serious hand injuries. If the well cap has a bolt on top of it, it may indicate that the pump is suspended from the well cap. We recommend that you consult with a licensed person to chlorinate your well.
- Do not drink the water until you take two satisfactory samples 1-2 days apart.
- Pick up proper water sampling bottles at the Public Health Lab located at 160 McDougald Street, Sault Ste. Marie (or your local health unit/township office).
- Bypass water treatment equipment and filters when chlorinating and sampling.
- Sometimes, continuously flushing the well by running the garden hose for 24-48 hours will solve the problem. Monitor your pump while doing this. Resample. Be sure you drain away from your septic system and do not let your well go dry.
Procedure
Pump your well if the water is cloudy until the water is clear.
Calculate amount of vinegar and chlorine bleach needed (see chart below)
Chlorine and Vinegar Dosages
(approximately 200ppm chlorine, pH less than 7)
My Well-Depth of water: __________ Amount of vinegar: __________ and chlorine bleach: __________
| Type of Well | Description | White Vinegar | Chlorine Bleach |
| Drilled | 6' diameter metal or plastic | 1 gallon per 100' of water | 220 ml per 10' of water |
| Dug | 36" diameter concrete, plastic, metal | 1 gallon per 3' of water | 4 cups per foot of water |
| Point | 2' diameter plastic or metal | 1 cup per 50' of water | 3/4 cup per 50' of water |
Turn power off to well.
Remove well cap, inspect well head and electrical components. Pour vinegar into well. Wait 2 hours.
Turn power on to well.
Mix chlorine with 5 gallons of clean water in a clean pail. Pour chlorine solution into well. Wait 2 hours.
Mix chlorine in well by placing clean garden hose in top of well. Turn on outside tap. Circulate chlorine water for 1 hour. Turn off outside tap, remove hose and replace well cap.
Disinfect water line in house by turning on each cold water tap and running water until you smell chlorine. Turn off taps.
Let sit for 12 hours.
Drain off the chlorine water through the garden hose away from the house and septic system. Stop running the water when the smell of chlorine is hone. Drain the chlorine from each tap.
Wait 48 hours to resample water.
Note: Disinfect hot water tank by increasing temperature to 150°F for 12 hours. Notify household members to avoid scalding. Disinfect a water softener according to manufacturer's instructions or by adding 1 cup chlorine bleach to brine cup of unit.
How to Chlorinate Your Cistern
Know Your Cistern
- Contact your water supplier to ensure volume of water can be replaced prior to beginning procedure.
- Store clean drinking water in clean containers in the fridge prior to beginning process.
- Bypass water treatment equipment and filters when chlorinating and sampling.
- Sometimes, flushing the cistern by running the garden hose continuously for 24 - 48 hours will solve the problem. Monitor your pump and water levels while doing this.
- Do not drink the water until you achieve satisfactory sample results.
Procedure
Calculate amount of chlorine bleach needed (see Chlorine Dosages Chart, page 2). If water pH is > 7 add the vinegar and chlorine. If pH of water is < 7 do not add vinegar.
Remove cistern cap lid.
Add chlorine in a 5 gallon clean pail with water. Pour chlorine solution into cistern. Pour along the sides and scrub with clean brush at the same time (as much as you can above the water line). For health & safety reasons, DO NOT GO INTO THE CISTERN.
Wait 2 hours to allow the chlorine solution to "sink" / mix into the existing water and replace cistern cap ensuring a complete seal.
Disinfect water line in house by turning on each cold water tap and run water until you smell chlorine. Turn off taps.
Let sit for 12 hours.
Drain off the chlorine water through the garden hose away from the house and septic system. Stop running the water when the smell of chlorine is gone or tank is emptied.
Remember that there will be some chlorine remaining in the tank from where the distribution pipe sits from the bottom-this will be diluted when the tank is refilled by the chlorine taste and smell may remain for a few more days.
Run all the cold water lines in the house to remove any chlorine from each tap.
Wait 48 hours to resample water. Three satisfactory samples 1- 3 weeks apart are recommended.
Note: Disinfected hot water tank by increasing temperature to 150°F for 12 hours. Notify household members to avoid scalding. Disinfect a water softener according to manufacturer's instructions or by adding 1 cup chlorine bleach to brine cup of unit.
Chlorine Dosages for Chlorination of Cisterns
For exact amounts of bleach for your cistern please use the following formula:
Gallons of Household bleach = Gallons of water x 200ppm / 52, 500
For example, if your cistern is 100 gallons:
100 gallons x 200ppm /52, 500 = 0.38 gallons of bleach (round up to 1/2 gallon)
For a 200 gallon tank = 0.76 gallons of bleach (round up to 1 gallon)
For a 600 gallon tank = 2.28 gallon of bleach (1 1/4 gallons)
For a 800 gallon tank = 3.04 gallon of bleach (round to 3 gallons)
For a 1000 gallon tank = 3.8 gallons of bleach (round to 4 gallons)
Diameter of Cistern
| Water Depth (Feet) of Cistern | 1 Foot Dug | 2 Foot Dug | 3 Foot Dug | 4 Foot Dug | 6 Foot Dug |
| 1 Foot | 3/4 cup Vinegar + 1/2 cup Chlorine | 3 cups Vinegar + 2 cups Chlorine | 5 1/2 cups Vinegar + 4 cups Chlorine | 12 cups Vinegar + 8 cups Chlorine | 1.4 gallons Vinegar + 1 gallon Chlorine |
| 5 Foot | 3 1/4 cups Vinegar + 2 1/2 cups Chlorine | 1 gallon Vinegar + 10 cups Chlorine | 1 3/4 gallons Vinegar + 1 1/4 gallons Chlorine | 4 gallons Vinegar + 2 1/2 gallons Chlorine | 7 gallons vinegar + 5 gallons Chlorine |
| 10 Foot | 7 1/2 cups Vinegar + 5 cups Chlorine | 2 gallons Vinegar + 1 1/4 gallons Chlorine | 3 1/2 gallons Vinegar + 2 1/2 gallons Chlorine | 8 gallons Vinegar + 5 gallons Chlorine | 14 gallons Vinegar + 10 gallons Chlorine |
| 20 Foot | 1 gallon Vinegar + 10 cups Chlorine | 4 gallons Vinegar + 2 1/2 gallon Chlorine | 4 gallons Vinegar + 2 1/2 gallons Chlorine | 15 gallons Vinegar + 10 gallons Chlorine | 28 gallons Vinegar + 20 gallons Chlorine |
| 50 Foot | 2 1/3 gallons Vinegar + 25 cups (1.6 gal) Chlorine | 9 1/4 gallons Vinegar + 6 1/2 gallons Chlorine | 9 1/4 gallons Vinegar + 6 1/2 gallons Chlorine | 37 gallons Vinegar + 25 gallons Chlorine | 70 gallons Vinegar + 50 gallons Chlorine |
Date of Creation: June 1, 2015
Last Modified: June 1, 2015
Small Drinking Water Systems (SDWS)
This section contains information for owners and operators of small water systems that provide drinking water to the public. Owners and operators of these applicable systems are required to comply with the Ontario Regulation 319/08 - Small Drinking Water Systems.
For more information please contact your local Algoma Public Health office and ask to speak with a Public Health Inspector.
Licensed Laboratories for Water Testing
Accuracy Environmental Laboratories Ltd.
1470 Government Rd W
Kirkland Lake ON P2N 3J1
705-642-3361
Fax: 705-642-3222
ALS Laboratory Group
1081 Barton Street
Thunder Bay ON P7B 5N3
1-807-623-6463
Fax: 1-807-623-7598
Exova
146 Colonnade Rd
Unit 8
Ottawa ON K2E 7Y1
613-727-5692
Fax: 613-727-5222
Maxxam Analytics Inc.
6740 Campobello Rd
Mississauga ON L5N 2L8
800-563-6266
Fax: 905-817-5777
Near North Laboratories
191 Booth Rd
Unit 11
North Bay ON P1A 4K3
705-497-0550
Fax: 705-497-0549
SGS Canada
185 Concession Rd
Box 4300
Lakefield ON K0L2H0
705-652-2000
Fax: 705-652-6365
Testmark Laboratories Ltd.
7 Margaret St
Garsons ON P3L 1E1
705-693-1121
Fax: 705-6931124
Laboratory Services Notification (LSN)
The purpose of this form is to notify the local Public Health Unit by fax or mail as to which licensed laboratories will test drinking water samples for small drinking water systems. Drinking water system owners must complete and submit this form to the local Board of Health prior to submitting drinking water samples to your contracted licensed laboratory for testing. Once you have submitted this form, it does not have to be re-submitted unless you take your samples to a different licensed laboratory for testing.
Provincial Laboratory Shipping
May 1, 2016 - December 1, 2016
- Schedule your samples on your calendar for compliance with your Directive, e.g. every 3 months
- Get sample bottle and form from Testmark
- Take sample Tuesday after 2:00pm or Wednesday before delivery to PHL
- Refrigerate sample until delivery
- Deliver sample in a cooler with a freeze pack after 9:00am and before 2:00pm Wednesday to: Public Health Lab,160 MacDougald Street, Sault Ste. Marie
Shipping Algoma Small Drinking Water System Water Samples to Testmark
The Ministry of Health and Long-term Care has made arrangements with the Public Health Laboratory (PHL), 160 MacDougald Street, Sault Ste. Marie, to accept and ship water samples from Algoma’s small drinking water systems (SDWS) to the private laboratory, Testmark in Garson Ontario for processing.
Who can use this service?
Only SDWS owners/operators who have an account with Testmark. To register for an account with Testmark, call 1-888-262-0422 and complete a Lab Services Notification to submit to APH.
When does this service begin?
The PHL will accept and ship samples on Wednesdays beginning May 1, 2016.
What are the sampling and delivery deadlines?
Take your sample after 2:00pm on the Tuesday. It must be refrigerated until taken to the PHL. Deliver to PHL before 2:00pm Wednesday. Samples must have the proper paperwork completed. Samples must be received by PHL at the proper temperature from 9:00 am and before 2:00pm Wednesday or they will be rejected.
What about long weekends?
There is no drop off on a holiday Wednesday. Please sample the following week.
Who gets the results?
Testmark reports results to you the SDWS owner/operator directly. PHL does not receive results from Testmark.
Does this include samples from the district such as Wawa, Elliot Lake and Blind River?
Yes. Call the local APH office for instructions.
Can I use PHL bottles?
No. Only Testmark sample bottles and Chain of Custody forms must be used.
How do I get Testmark bottles and Chain of Custody forms? I have more questions?
Call Testmark 1-888-282-0422 or visit the Testmark website.
Date of Creation: June 1, 2015
Last Modified: January 18, 2016