Report: Safe Drinking Water for All – 20 Years after the Walkerton Inquiry Reports

In 2000, seven people died and over 2300 people became ill after the water supply in Walkerton, Ontario became contaminated with E. coli. The tragedy in Walkerton was followed by a provincial inquiry by Justice O’Connor to investigate the cause of the contamination in Walkerton and the state of drinking water protection in Ontario. In the reports that resulted from this Inquiry, Justice O’Connor made 121 recommendations to strengthen drinking water protection in Ontario.

Twenty years after the release of the two Reports of the Walkerton Inquiry, Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) assesses the status of the 121 recommendations made by Justice O’Connor. Safe Drinking Water for All: a status update on Walkerton’s legacy, 20 years after release of Inquiry Reports evaluates whether the recommendations continue to be implemented effectively or if there have been any failures to meet the original objectives.

Safe Drinking Water for All: a status update on Walkerton’s legacy, 20 years after release of Inquiry Reports
Written by Cassidy Barnes
CELA Publication No. 1490
ISBN: 978-1-77842-009-2

To download the executive summary, click here.
To download the full report, click here.
Note: Corrections were made to page 2 of the Executive Summary on Sept 27, 2022.

Full Report