New Guidance for Issuing and Rescinding Boil Water Advisories

The document Guidance for Issuing and Rescinding Boil Water Advisories in Canadian Drinking Water Supplies is now available on Health Canada's web site, at the following address:  

This document summarizes the factors that should be considered before boil water advisories are issued or rescinded and provides an overview of currently available trends related to the reasons for issuing boil water advisories and the characteristics of the drinking water systems affected. It provides specific guidance for those impacted by a boil water advisory, including how to properly boil or disinfect water. It also provides guidance for responsible authorities, through the inclusion of decision trees, for routine microbiological testing of municipal and residential scale systemsFootnote1 in support of potential decisions concerning the issuance of boil water advisories.