Mr. Speaker, the quality and safety of drinking water in Canada cannot be understood by comparing the number of guidelines in a given jurisdiction. It has been stated that there are 189 substances for which Canada has no guideline. However, it is important to note that this number does not take into consideration the number of substances that are not in use, that are banned in Canada, or that are simply not found in our drinking water.
I also note that the same report that identified the 189 substances also indicated that 78 of those substances are not in use in Canada, and that another six are banned.
Our guidelines are protective of health, respect our jurisdictional responsibilities, and are complemented by the flexibility to address emergency situations. We also need to remember that drinking water quality is more than just drinking water guidelines. It also requires the adoption and implementation of multi-barrier approaches to prevent the contamination of drinking water sources in the environment, as promoted by Health Canada.