Bill 21: The Drinking Water Safety Amendment Act

This bill most directly affects property owners and operators in Manitoba — particularly those in rural areas, small communities, or industrial/commercial settings — who own land where a water system is located, even if they don't consider themselves a water supplier. If you run a campground, mobile home park, farm operation, or own commercial or industrial land with a well or distribution system, you could be ordered to take control of and operate a nearby water system at your own expense if no owner can be found. Businesses operating semi-public or public water systems (15 or more service connections) still need a valid operating licence, and the new designation rules may change how your system is classified. Smaller sole operators supplying water only to a single private residence are less likely to be affected, but anyone with shared or multi-user water infrastructure on their property should pay attention.