There are many things in Nova Scotia's water supplies besides H20. Some are harmful, most are not. The amount of a given substance, or even its sheer presence, may determine whether or not your water is safe. The concentration levels of these substances may dictate if you are dealing with an aesthetic issue, a long term risk, or an immediate health threat.

Some contaminants in water are not regulated or adequately controlled even though they pose immediate health problems when present. In some instances, the water treated by a public (municipal) supplier is okay coming out of the treatment facility, but is not okay when it reaches your home tap. In other cases, water treatment facilities fail to detect harmful bacteria up to 15% of the time.

Most of Canada's water supplies are safe. However, you may never know until it's too late if what you consume is safe, unless you check it yourself. The most important message we can deliver to you is that you need to take control yourself in monitoring (testing) and treating your water to be sure what is coming from your tap is in fact safe for you and your family. Whether it's someone else's responsibility (as in a public supplier) or yours (as in private wells), be sure to test it regularly.