Who is responsible for the quality of water that is available in your home? That depends upon what you mean by “quality.” If you are referring to the removal of various contaminants such as E. Coli bacteria, metals like lead or mercury, chemicals, odors and bad taste, then that responsibility falls to the federal, provincial/territorial and municipal governments.
Health Canada, through the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Committee on Drinking Water, provides a set of Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality that apply to all public and private drinking water supplies and to treated or finished water as it emerges from the tap. (See http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/water-eau/drink-potab/index-eng.php for details.) At present, these guidelines apply to 85 physical, chemical, and biological attributes of water quality.
There are several other aspects of water quality, however, that are your responsibility. Take, for example minerals like calcium and magnesium that are absorbed by your water as it passes through the Water Cycle on its way to your local water source. These minerals can make a significant difference in things like the lifespan of your major appliances, household energy consumption and how much soap you use in your washing machine or dishwasher.
They also affect a variety of quality of life issues, such as the feel of your skin after a bath or shower, the taste of your food and beverages and the how much time you have to spend scrubbing water stains off the tub or sink.
These water quality issues that affect your family day to day require what is know as a whole house water treatment system to treat the hard water that is supplied to many Canadian homes. Water is classified as hard if it contains above certain levels of minerals such as calcium and magnesium. The technology that removes these minerals is known as a water softener system.
You can find out if you have hard water in your home by requesting a free water test from a local water softener distributor.
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