Water
Anoxic events are a common occurrence in Island estuaries during the summer months. The symptoms of an anoxic event include:07-29
milky white or green discolouration of the water,
H2S or 'rotten turnip' odour, and
low (near...
Cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae blooms, are not common in PEI but can be a concern as some strains can produce toxins that are harmful to human or animal health. In PEI cyanobacteria can be found in shallow, warm, and slow moving or still water (...
The health and safety of Islanders is the greatest priority. Drinking water utilities continue to operate and sample drinking water supplies in compliance with regulations to provide safe drinking water to Islanders.
Drinking water and wastewater...
The Government of Prince Edward Island is funding research on environmental flows in the province over five years starting in 2016 that will inform decisions around water usage in the future. This is a significant piece of work that will determine the...
What kinds of wells need a permit?
Any high-capacity well, commercial well, or well used as a central water supply system needs a Groundwater Extraction Permit. A high-capacity well supplies more than 4 L/second. Before this permit can be issued, a...
In Prince Edward Island we use the “Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality” to assess the safety of drinking water and its suitability for domestic use. The most important values are the health-based guidelines expressed as “maximum acceptable...
Nitrate is a form of nitrogen. It can readily dissolve in water and can travel easily through soil to the water table. As a result, nitrate is common in our groundwater, ponds, streams, and estuaries.
Human activity is responsible for over 90% of...
The Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment System Regulations will be established under the Water Act to regulate public water supplies and municipal wastewater treatment systems. Both the original and revised drafts of the regulations are found on this...
The Water Withdrawal Regulations will be established under the Water Act to regulate the withdrawal of water from groundwater and watercourses. Both the original and revised drafts of the regulations are found on this page.
The plain language summary...
The Well Construction Regulations will be established under the Water Act to regulate the construction standards of wells and the licensing of well drillers.
The plain language summary for the revised draft of the regulations addresses only the...
Each year people see things in streams, ponds and estuaries that cause concern, but this does not mean that the water is polluted. Often, there is a natural cause for these conditions.
If you are concerned about water quality because of something you...
The Sewage Disposal Systems Regulations will be moved to the Water Act from the Environmental Protection Act. As required by the Water Act, they have been submitted to the Standing Committee for Communities, Land and Environment. The change in the...
The Water Act was proclaimed in February 2021 for implementation on June 16, 2021. Regulations have been developed to support its implementation which also will be effective on June 16, 2021.
Supporting Regulations
There are four sets of regulations...
As part of the development of regulations for the Water Act, Islanders were invited to provide comments regarding the draft regulations. All on-line comments that were received on the draft regulations before the closing date were posted on this page....
The Water Extraction Permitting Policy is the prime instrument utilized by the Department to make decisions around the use of both surface water and groundwater. The policy provides for sustainable protection of the province’s water resources and...
Sample bottles for chemistry and bacterial analysis and the required forms are available at Access PEI sites (outside Charlottetown) or at the PEI Analytical Laboratories, 23 Innovation Way, Charlottetown.
There are two analysis bottles available:...
Licensed Well Contractors are required to submit all well logs of newly drilled wells to the Department of Communities, Land & Environment. In order to submit well logs, the drilling contractor must sign-in (below) and enter all information into the...
Learn more about PEI’s water resources, including how government is monitoring, managing and protecting watersheds.
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