In a presentation to city politicians June 23, consultant Charlene McKay described the complex new rules the province has introduced, requiring municipal politicians and senior bureaucrats to be aware of the status of local drinking water supply operations and for city staff to meet new training standards.

The changes come in the wake of the tainted water tragedy in Walkerton in 2000, when heavy rainfall allowed water contaminated with E. coli bacteria to get into a well that supplied the town's water supply. Seven people died and more than 2,000 others became sick -- some have permanent kidney damage and require dialysis.

The new provincial rules will require the city to come up with an operational plan detailing how it will meet all the new standards and procedures. The city's water operations will also be required to undergo full audits by independent auditors every three years, in much the same way that hospitals and long-term care homes go through what's known as the accreditation process.

Preparing for such as process can take many months of work.

McKay said failure to meet the tough new standards comes with sizeable penalties: provincial legislation allows for fines of $20,000 a day for a first conviction of individuals who fail to meet standards, and subsequent fines of up to $50,000 per day. It also allows for fines against the city of $100,000 per day.

That's in large part a response to the Walkerton debacle, in which local operators of the town's water system were negligent and falsified reports, meaning people didn't realize chlorine pumps used to kill bacteria had been turned off.

"It's going to cost a lot and it'll require a lot of resources," McKay said of meeting the new standards.

Coun. Jim Diodati said the province should be helping to fund municipalities to meet the standards. Coun. Wayne Thomson agreed, saying the province is saving millions of dollars by eliminating many Ministry of the Environment staffing positions and by cutting out sewer grants it once gave to cities and towns. City councillors gave the go-ahead to search for someone to fill the new position of compliance co-ordinator for the city's water supply.

"We don't have a choice -- we have to do it," said Coun. Janice Wing.