Drinking Water Regulations : Measures and Penalties

Did you know that in 2022, Quebec municipalities generated approximately $2 billion in revenue from drinking water services?¹ Furthermore, Quebec benefits from an exceptional abundance of fresh water: only about 0.5% of the volume of water available on the territory is taken from it.² This wealth of water, both ecological and economic, is a heritage that must be protected.

Thus, several policies in Quebec highlight the importance of water by considering rigorous protection and long-term preservation.  Here are some of them:

• The 2018-2030 Quebec Water Strategy (QWS) focuses on the province's water. Replacing the 2002 National Water Policy, the QWS takes charge of the water management, which is found in 3.6 million water bodies by 2030. This strategy is based on sustainable development and the recognition of the collective nature of water.³
• The Environment Quality Act (EQA) prohibits degrading water quality by emitting contaminants without authorization and this ensures the protection of ecosystems and public health.⁴
• Adopted in 2009, the Act affirming the collective nature of water resources considers water resources to be a common heritage of the Quebec nation. It recognizes the right of every individual to access drinking water for their basic needs and imposes on everyone the duty to prevent any damage to water resources.⁵

The installation of BPDs is mandatory in Quebec according to the Construction Code – Chapter III, Plumbing and the CSA B64.10 standard.^{7 8} In addition, the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) requires their installation and maintenance for industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) buildings as well as for residential buildings with more than 8 dwellings and more than 2 floors.⁹

Failure to comply with the regulations results in penalties of up to thousands of dollars depending on the violation. The offending party may also be responsible for the cost of decontaminating the water network. Moreover, the RBQ requires an annual certification of verifiable BPDs by an accredited field tester.⁶

With policies that envision rigorous protection of drinking water, it would not be surprising to see stricter requirements to preserve this resource: increased penalties, expanded monitoring and environmental fees to ensure compliance and safety of the system.

Sustainable water management in Quebec is based on rigorous policies, a solid legislative framework, and essential mechanisms such as the backflow prevention devices. Their mandatory installation prevents contamination and ensures the quality of the drinking water we consume. With increasing regulations, the protection of this resource is becoming an unavoidable priority for the future.

​​​​​​1. Gouvernement du Québec. (2022). Rapport annuel de l’usage de l’eau potable 2022 en bref (Stratégie québécoise d’économie d’eau potable 2019-2025, MAMH) https://cdn-contenu.quebec.ca/cdn-contenu/adm/min/affaires-municipales/publications/infrastructures/strategie_quebecoise_eau_potable/RAP_usage_eau_potable_2022.pdf

2. Polytechnique Montréal. (n.d.). Eau potable et changements climatiques : régime sec pour nos villes ? (C. Florès, Auteur). Magazine Poly https://www.polymtl.ca/carrefour-actualite/magazine-poly/eau-potable-et-changements-climatiques-regime-sec-pour-nos-villes

3. Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques. (n.d.). Stratégie québécoise de l’eau 2018-2030 et Plan national de l’eau 2023-2028 https://www.environnement.gouv.qc.ca/eau/strategie-quebecoise

4. Éditeur officiel du Québec. (2024). Loi sur la qualité de l’environnement (RLRQ, c. Q-2). Gouvernement du Québec https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fr/document/lc/q-

5. Éditeur officiel du Québec. (2024). Loi affirmant le caractère collectif des ressources en eau et visant à renforcer leur protection (RLRQ, c. C-6.2). Gouvernement du Québec https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fr/document/lc/c-6.2

6. Régie du bâtiment du Québec. (n.d.). Dispositif antirefoulement – Exigences de qualité et de sécurité https://www.rbq.gouv.qc.ca/domaines-dintervention/plomberie/les-exigences-de-qualite-et-de-securite/dispositif-antirefoulement/#:~:text=Il%20s'agit%20d'un,d'alimentation%20en%20eau%20potable

7. Régie du bâtiment du Québec. (n.d.). Code de construction du Québec, Chapitre III - Plomberie https://www.rbq.gouv.qc.ca/

8. CSA Group. (n.d.). Normes CSA B64.10 et B64.10.1 sur les dispositifs antirefoulement https://www.csagroup.org/

9. Régie du bâtiment du Québec. (n.d.). Guide sur l’accessibilité des logements d’habitation https://www.rbq.gouv.qc.ca/fileadmin/medias/pdf/Publications/francais/guide-accessibilite-logements-habitation.pdf