The following statement was issued today by Bob Mercer, Minister of Environment. It was also read in the House of Assembly:

3rd Annual Clean and Safe Drinking Water Workshop

I rise in this House today to inform my colleagues of a very important event taking place this week in Gander - the 3rd Annual Clean and Safe Drinking Water Workshop. More than 300 delegates have registered for this workshop and the majority of those attending are representatives of municipalities from across the province. This event provides an opportunity for my department to share information, educate and respond to questions from the people who operate water systems throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

I thank my colleague, the Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs, for his department�s assistance in making it possible for many of these municipal representatives to attend.

The quality of drinking water in this province is a high priority for this government. Government has made a significant commitment to ensure the provision of safe drinking water. We have financial and human resources within four different government departments - Environment, Municipal and Provincial Affairs, Health and Community Services and Government Services and Lands - dedicated to the issue of water quality. We have a progressive action plan which was outlined when we released the Source to Tap document nearly two years ago.

I am pleased to advise this House that we are making progress in implementing our action plan effectively. We have increased chemical and bacteriological sampling, increased investment in capital projects, enhanced training initiatives, experienced a decrease in the number of boil water advisories and provided an annual public report on the safety of public water supplies.

In keeping with our commitment to openness and transparency, one of the key areas where we have made significant improvements is in the level of our communication to the public. We have substantially enhanced our public communication through our Web site and with direct communication with communities should there be any indication of an issue emerging.

Our annual water conference is a means by which we continue our efforts to enhance our communication with municipalities and to work co-operatively and collaboratively with the people who have the day-to-day responsibility of operating drinking water systems throughout this province. We are committed to providing operator training opportunities since we are quite aware of the important role that water system operators play in the provision of safe drinking water.

Over the course of this workshop, we will provide these operators with access to some of the best technical experts in the area of water quality. They will gain much information which will assist them in carrying out their responsibility to ensure the people who live in their communities have access to safe drinking water.

I commend all those who will make the effort to attend this workshop. It is clear they share government�s commitment to safe drinking water. The people of this province expect and deserve no less.

News Release

2003 03 24                                         1:50 p.m.