Should access to clean water be declared a basic human right? The UN says “YES!” (Barlow, 2010).

Greetings, Water Lovers!


I’ve decided to start with a slight u-turn in this blog, water lovers, to discuss the issue of clean water around the world. We are very fortunate to live in Canada, where we have access to safe drinking water, a necessity of life. Many in poorer countries are not as “lucky”. On July 28 of this year, the United Nations voted in favour of recognizing clean, safe water, and sanitation, as basic human rights. The resolution, put forward by Bolivia, passed with 124 states voting yes, and 42 abstaining. Canada abstained from the vote. Regardless of our non-participation, the human right to water and sanitation is now formally and explicitly recognized in international law. It took over a decade of hard work by dedicated individuals and organizations to achieve this victory, and it is only the beginning. Information can be found at this link: Council of Canadians.The Council of Canadians has been involved in many different projects, not just water, and was instrumental in helping shut down the now infamous SITE 41 in Barrie (Council of Canadians, 2010).

Switching gears, it is time to talk about the different training options available in the water industry. It can be very confusing, so I will share a few tips with you. The first training organization you should become familiar with is the Walkerton Clean Water Centre, which was created after the Walkerton tragedy. The link is WCWC. If you are unfamiliar with the events of Walkerton, I suggest you conduct a little research, as many of  the regulations and acts that exist today, were created after this awful event. This centre is an agency of the Government of Ontario. In addition, there are several private training facilities, which are frequently utilized by municipalities. The first is called the OWOTC, the Ontario Water Operators Training Centre, and the link is OWOTC. The course calendar divides training into different categories, including distribution, treatment, waste water, etc., at various locations throughout Ontario. Fees vary.

The other company is called XCG Training and Operations. They offer a wider variety of training courses, and more locations than the OWOTC. Again fees vary, and can be in excess of $1000.00. The link is XCG.


Very Important Note:

If you are planning to work in Water Treatment, Distribution, or both, you must obtain your Entry Level Drinking Water Operator Certificate. It consists of two parts, a self study, and one week of classroom training. Various locations are available. The cost is $1300.00, and includes the self study manual. The course is available exclusively through the Walkerton Clean Water Centre, and the link is Entry Level Drinking Water Operator Certificate ( WCWC, 2010). Topics covered in the course are listed below:


1.  􀂃 Protecting the health of the public

2.  􀂃 Regulations governing water quality

3.  􀂃 Water related math and drawings

4.  􀂃 Water characteristics and sources

5.  􀂃 Disinfection

6.  􀂃 Treatment

7.  􀂃 Sampling

8.  􀂃 Equipment

9.  􀂃 Well operators

10.􀂃 Distribution

11.􀂃 Safety

For further informationFor further information on registering for the course, contact:


Corinne Louther
Walkerton Clean Water Centre
Phone number: 519-881-2003 or toll-free at 1-866-515-0550
E-mail: clouther@wcwc.ca


Alternately, if you are enrolled in an Environmental Technology program, it may be offered as part of the Water/Wastewater Course, as it is at Georgian College (Georgian College, 2010). Once you obtain your diploma, you must send it, along with your transcript, to the Walkerton Clean Water Centre. They will then issue to you, your Entry Level Drinking Water Operator Certificate. But you must check, to make sure the course you attend, is accredited by the Centre. A list of colleges can be found on their website.

Thanks for reading...