Thunder Bay District Health Unit : Transporting or Hauling Private Drinking Water

Where it is necessary to transport water for drinking or washing, please ensure that you take the following care:

Water Quality:

At the time of filling, ensure that the water source is potable (safe to drink) and meets the Ontario Drinking Water Quality Standards.
If uncertain please call the Thunder Bay District Health Unit at 625-5933.

To learn more about your municipality's drinking water quality, visit the Ministry of the Environment Drinking Water Ontario website.

The Container Should be:

manufactured for the sole purpose to haul water or made of a material that is non-corrosive (i.e., stainless steel, plastic, glass)
kept clean and sanitary (please see “Disinfecting the Water Container” for information on how to properly clean water containers)
used only for the purpose of water storage
able to be securely covered or closed
used in such a way that, when water is drawn from the source, the water does not become contaminated

When Drawing the Water:

hoses and nozzles used must be food grade and protected from possible contamination
hoses and nozzles must be covered when not in use and disinfected and sanitized before each use

Disinfecting the Water Container:

Disinfection of the water container should be done before each use.
The water container can be cleaned and disinfected using water and household bleach. See Disinfecting the Water Container, for the amounts of water and bleach to safely use to clean containers.
Bleach does not work well in killing off Cryptosporidium parasites. The amount of bleach needed to kill Cryptosporidium makes the water almost impossible to drink. If Cryptosporidium is in the water, boiling is the best way to make sure water is safe to drink.
Disinfection using unscented household bleach (5% chlorine) works best with warm water. Add bleach to the water, shake or stir for thorough mixing and then let it stand for at least 30 minutes before drinking.
A slight chlorine odor should still be noticeable at the end of the 30-minute waiting period if you have added enough bleach. If not, repeat the dosage and allow the water to stand an additional 15 minutes. If the water has too strong a chlorine taste, allow the water to stand exposed to the air for a few hours or pour it from one clean container to another several times.
In addition to the amount of bleach used, the effectiveness of disinfection depends on the waiting time after mixing. The longer the water is left to stand after adding bleach, the more effective the disinfection process will be.

Disinfecting the Water Container:

Gallons of water to disinfect (equivalent shown in brackets)	Amount of Household bleach (5%) to add *
1 gal. (4.5 litres)	2 drops (0.18 ml)
2 1/5 gal. (10 litres)	5 drops (0.4 ml)
5 gal. (23 litres)	11 drops (0.9 ml)
10 gal. (45 litres)	22 drops (1.8 ml)
22 gal. (100 litres)	3/4 teaspoon (4 ml)
45 gal. (205 litres)	1 1/2 teaspoons (8 ml)
50 gal. (230 litres)	1 3/4 teaspoons (9 ml)
100 gal. (450 litres)	3 1/2 teaspoons (18 ml)
220 gal. (1000 litres)	8 teaspoons (40 ml)
500 gal. (2200 litres)	6 tablespoons (90 ml)
1000 gal. (4550 litres)	6 1/2 ounces or 12 tablespoons (180 ml)

If you have any questions please call the Thunder Bay District Health unit at 625-5933.