Drinking water system operator certification

A campground, resort or mobile-home park with its own water supply may run a system that needs a certified operator. A buyer meets this when asking who will operate the system after closing. This entry covers Ontario only; check the rules where the property is.

What the law says

Section 12(1) of the Act says no person shall operate a municipal drinking water system or a regulated non-municipal drinking water system unless the person holds a valid operator’s certificate issued in accordance with the regulations. A “regulated non-municipal drinking water system” is one in a class prescribed for the provision, so whether a private system is in a prescribed class is a point to confirm. O. Reg. 128/04 sets out the classes of certificates and refers to an “overall responsible operator” and an “operator-in-charge” designated for a subsystem. During a strike or lock-out, it lets the Director exempt an owner or operating authority from s. 12(1) on stated conditions (s. 24(2)).

What to check or ask

• Whether the system is municipal, regulated non-municipal or neither, and which class applies.
• Who holds the operator’s certificate, in what class, and whether that person will stay after closing.
• Whether the owner has given an operating authority responsibility for the system, which the Act defines as the person or entity given responsibility by the owner for its operation, management, maintenance or alteration.

The campground and RV park due diligence guide covers wider checks, and a permit to take water is a separate approval.