Vancouver Island Health Authority

Water Samples

Capital Regional District (CRD) owned and operated water supply systems sample results can be found at the following link: https://www.crd.bc.ca/service/drinking-water/drinking-water-quality

All water suppliers in British Columbia are required to monitor water that reaches consumers for total coliform bacteria and Escherichia coli (E.coli) regularly. The monitoring is one part of a comprehensive approach to safe drinking water.

The presence of E. coli in a water sample indicates that bacteria capable of causing illness may be present in the water system.

The presence of total coliform bacteria may indicate a breakdown in the treatment process, or growth in the distribution system.

Acceptable Sample Results

The following results are considered acceptable for drinking water.

E. Coli
- No E. Coli detectable per 100 ml of each water sample.
Coliform
- If only one sample is taken in a 30-day period:
- No detectable Coliform per 100 ml of water
- If more than one sample is taken in a 30-day period:
- At least 90% of samples will have no detectable Coliform per 100 ml of water, and
- No sample has more than 10 total Coliform per 100ml of water

Interpreting Sample Reports

In VIHA, the results of drinking water sampling are reported using the following coding system.

L1 ~ Less than 1 (no detectable bacteria) – Meaning: No bacteria present
LT1 ~ Less than 1 (no detectable bacteria) – Meaning: No bacteria present
OG ~ Overgrown – Meaning: Too many background bacteria to give an accurate count
EST ~ Estimated Count
A ~ Sample not tested; Too long in transit
QRWRT ~ Sample not tested; Too long in transit
C ~ Sample leaked/broken in transit
D ~ Sample not tested; No collection date given