New Brunswick has updated its drinking water quality guidelines, bringing the province in line with national standards set by Health Canada.
The changes are part of ongoing work to keep water protections current as environmental conditions and community needs continue to shift.
Environment and Climate Change Minister Gilles LePage said the guidelines must be reviewed regularly to remain effective.
“New Brunswickers should have dependable access to clean drinking water and have confidence it is safe,” LePage said in a government release.
Chief medical officer of health Dr. Yves Léger said the updates reflect new scientific evidence.
“As the science evolves, so does the need to update our drinking water guidelines to ensure we are protecting the health of New Brunswickers and strengthening public trust in our water systems,” Léger said.
The province has also launched a new online portal that lets residents view drinking water quality data collected by their local government.
The Department of Environment and Local Government stated the portal is meant to increase transparency and follows a recommendation in A Water Strategy for New Brunswick 2018–2028 to make local water monitoring results public.
The strategy outlines long‑term goals for protecting drinking water, improving watershed management and expanding access to water‑related information.
The department also noted it met with water system owners last fall as part of its mandate to modernize the Clean Water Act.
Alex Allan is an award-winning multimedia journalist and graduate of Fanshawe College’s Journalism Broadcasting and Digital Communication Management programs. He is based in Saint John and covers stories across New Brunswick. Contact Alex at allana@radioabl.ca.