Drink Whistler tap water

Water quality is tested at multiple locations every week. Water is tested for E. coli and coliform, pH, residual chlorine, temperature and turbidity. Overall chemistry is tested annually. All bacteriological samples are sent to the BC Ministry of Health Centre for Disease Control laboratory for analysis.

Drinking water evaluations are posted on Vancouver Coastal Health’s website http://www.vch.ca/public-health/environmental-health-inspections/drinking-water, and the Whistler’s Annual Drinking Water report is posted on this webpage.

Plastic water bottles are single-use waste, meaning they are used once then discarded. These items may not be reused or recycled, and end up in the landfill.

Remember to flush your taps!

Whistler’s water consistently meets Provincial standards. Like many other communities in Canada, the pH of some source water is naturally low.

Once water is delivered to homes and businesses, it is the responsibility of property owners to manage it. If water has not been used for a while, levels of dissolved metals may increase.

To reduce exposure to metals, freshen tap water by running it until cold. This is Vancouver Coastal Health’s recommendation.

Dissolved metals can comes from:

Faucets – Fixtures inside your home may contain lead
Copper Pipe with Lead Solder – Prior to 1989 solder contained high lead levels.

Even though it is important to save water, remember to run taps until the water comes out cold before drinking. This makes sure the water you are drinking is the same quality as the water that is delivered to your home.

You can also install and maintain a water filter.

Water Quality Guidelines

As requested in the 2017 Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) Inspection Report, RMOW water managers are reviewing operational and interim guidelines published by the Federal and Provincial governments. The outcome of the review may be that treatment measures to increase the pH of source water are recommended. Learn more about the Canadian Drinking Water Guidelines(link is external).

Testing your water

Should you wish to have your water tested independently, you can contact one of several labs in the lower mainland that can advise you on how these services can be provided such as:

Caro Analytical Services
Maxxam Analytics
ALS Environmental
Exova Canada

Water reports

The RMOW prepares annual water system reports that summarize the water system’s performance including usage and quality. Whistler water consistently receives low hazard ratings from Vancouver Coastal Health and the systems consistently meet all conditions of the Permits to Operate. Please see the annual reports below.

The operation, maintenance and capital replacement of the system is funded by the Water Utility Fund.