Third meeting of the International Small Community Water Supply Network
The third meeting of the International Network was held in Kelowna, Canada, from 18-22 September 2006, hosted by Health Canada, and focused on issues particular to First Nations communities in Canada and to countries in Latin America. A series of breakout sessions gave participants the opportunity to engage in-depth in discussions about the following topics of concern previously recognized by the Network:
- Issues and priorities;
- Best management practices for public reporting, information collection and analysis; and
- Essential requirements for the successful application of water safety plan principles to small community water supplies.
Taking into consideration the priorities identified at previous meetings and the discussions on topics of concern, participants reviewed the status of work plan items and next steps, identified who would act as the lead for each work plan item, and identified what they could do to support work plan items.
Health Canada has made significant advances in conducting research and developing policies, programs and tools to address the challenges associated with managing small community water supplies. As a member of the International Network on Small Community Water Supply Management, Health Canada shares its expertise and works together with other countries to create a coordinated global response to these challenges.
Health Canada's Water Quality Program has for a number of years functioned as a World Health Organization/Pan American Health Organization Collaborating Centre on Water. In this capacity, Health Canada contributes to the ongoing revision of WHO's Guidelines on Drinking-Water Quality.
The report of the meeting is available in English, Français (French) and Español (Spanish).