Manitoba's Auditor General says the Department of Conservation and Climate does not have a clear plan to address the risks posed to drinking water.

Auditor General Tyson Shtykalo is opening up the tap and letting the findings of his report, Provincial Oversight of Drinking Water Safety, flow.

“The people and organizations that supply drinking water to Manitobans must ensure that water is safe to drink,” Shtykalo says. “While Manitoba has not had any major outbreaks of waterborne diseases recently, the Department needs to remain vigilant and do more to minimize the risk of problems in the future.”

Shtykalo says the audit found the process for licencing and monitoring water systems does not address safety risks. He also found that half of the province's water systems do not have a certified operator.

“Although many of these systems were very small, it is important that all water systems, no matter the size, have an operator who has received appropriate training and understands the system and safety requirements."

The Auditor General says that 20 percent of Manitoba's water systems do not have an operating licence. He says a "licence outlines what a system operator must do to meet regulatory requirements, including the water quality standards they must meet and the frequency of testing required."

Shtykalo says the unlicensed systems were testing drinking water, but not at the frequency they expected them to.

He says the audit also found the Department of Conservation and Climate had weak strategic planning and performance measurement processes for overseeing the safety of drinking water.

Shtykalo says more work needs to be done, stating that efforts need to be made to bring non-compliant water systems up to the province's standards. 

While the number of licensed drinking water systems have nearly doubled in the past five years, the Auditor General says the number of licenced staff has decreased.

"Given the limited resources available, and increasing workload, it is important that the Department carefully plan how to address the issues noted in this report."

Shtykalosays the Department does not have a clear plan to address the issues.