Reports and Publications - Environment and Climate Change

Drinking Water
Wastewater
Other Water Quality Reports Available
Calibration Schedule and Deployment Reports – Real Time Water Quality Monitoring Program
Surface Water
Groundwater
Flooding and Hydrology
Federal Provincial Programs
Dam Safety

Drinking Water

2002-2020 – Drinking Water Safety Annual Report
Provides information on the overall state of public water supplies in Newfoundland and Labrador and outlined the progress of activities and accomplishments under the multi-barrier strategic action plan for drinking water safety.
2020 – N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in Public Drinking Water Supplies using Chloramination in Newfoundland and Labrador
N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is a compound that can be found in both surface and groundwater sources. There are, however, no industrial or commercial uses of NDMA in
Canada. NDMA can also be formed during treatment processes using chloramination. To examine the existence and/or extent of NDMA formation in public water supplies of
Newfoundland and Labrador, special monitoring was conducted on the two treatment systems that utilize chloramination.
2013 – Vinyl Chloride in Public Drinking Water Supplies with Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Infrastructure in Newfoundland and Labrador
This report summarizes the results of a special monitoring program developed to examine the existence and/or extent of vinyl chloride in tap water for public water supplies of Newfoundland and Labrador. All seventeen community results for vinyl chloride were less than detection limits.
2012 – Asbestos in Public Drinking Water Supplies in Newfoundland and Labrador
This special monitoring program analyzed all communities with A/C pipe in their drinking water distribution system. All results showed that there is no issue with asbestos structures in drinking water quality in the province.
2011 – Study on Water Quality and Demand on Public Water Supplies with Variable Flow Regimes and Water Demand
This report examines the effects of variable water demands on water quality in a selection of communities across the province that supply large industrial users.
2011 – Study on Pathogen Inactivation in Drinking Water Systems in Newfoundland and Labrador
This report provides an assessment of the current drinking water disinfection standards and guidelines used in the province.
2011 – Evaluation of Potable Water Storage Tanks in Newfoundland and Labrador and their Effect on Drinking Water Quality
This report investigates the role of water storage tanks and their effect on drinking water quality, as well as, the design, modeling, operation, maintenance and regulatory approval process for water storage tanks in the province.
2011 – Study on Characteristics and Removal of Natural Organic Matter in Drinking Water Systems in Newfoundland and Labrador
This report examines the characteristics of natural organic matter (NOM) that contributes to colour in drinking water and reacts with disinfectants to produce disinfection by-products. Understanding the nature of NOM will help communities determine appropriate removal methods.
2011 – Study on pH Adjustment Systems and Recommendations for Design and Operational Guidelines
This report documents the operation and effectiveness of pH adjustment processes used in drinking water systems in the province and reviews existing provincial design guidelines and standards relating to pH adjustment.
2010 – Evaluation of Existing Potable Water Dispensing Units and Recommendations for Design and Operational Guidelines
Potable Water Dispensing Units (PWDUs) are small scale drinking water treatment systems that treat only a fraction of the total water demand, generally that used for drinking water. Treated water is stored on-site at a centralized location where residents can then collect their water in sanitized containers. Seven such systems exist in the province in small, rural communities. This study evaluates the performance, operation and maintenance of existing PWDUs and provides recommendations for improvements for future PWDU systems.
2010 – Study on Operation and Maintenance of Drinking Water Infrastructure in Newfoundland and Labrador
This study provides an overview of how the operation and maintenance of drinking water systems is affecting the state of drinking water infrastructure and contributing to drinking water quality issues in the province. The study also provides recommendations for improvements in observed gaps and deficiencies in the operation and maintenance of drinking water systems.
2010 – HAAs in Water Distribution Systems in Newfoundland and Labrador: Causes and Peak Location
This study looked at HAA levels at different sites in 11 water distribution systems in Newfoundland and Labrador, evaluated what causes high levels of HAAs, and made recommendations on the preferred province wide sampling site for future HAA sampling.
2010 – Radiological Parameters in Groundwater in Public Drinking Water Supplies in Newfoundland and Labrador
This report summarizes the results of an extensive monitoring program developed to determine the extent, if any, of radiological parameters in the province’s public drinking water
supplies. This monitoring program was a multi-year program that extended to all public groundwater supplies in NL.
2009 – Bromate in Public Drinking Water Supplies using Ozone in Newfoundland and Labrador
All water supplies that are treated with ozone can be at risk of bromate formation. To examine the existence and/or extent of bromate formation in public water supplies of Newfoundland and Labrador a special monitoring program was developed. All ten community results for both bromate and bromide were less than detection limits.
2009 – Best Management Practices for the Control of Disinfection by-Products in Drinking Water Systems in Newfoundland and Labrador
This report provided information on disinfection by-products (DBPs), causative factors and their characteristics, corrective measures for reducing DBPs, and an integrated decision-making framework for selecting DBP corrective measures. The report focused on the situation and experiences of smaller communities in Newfoundland and Labrador and was intended for reference by communities, consultants and government.
2009 – Pilot Study to Develop an Action Plan on Indicators for Monitoring Corrosion Control in Drinking Water
This is a report on the Pilot Study to Develop an Action Plan on Indicators for Monitoring Corrosion Control in Drinking Water in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
2008 – Carbon Tetrachloride and Benzene in Public Drinking Water Supplies of Newfoundland and Labrador
This is a report on the fourteen water supplies selected for water quality monitoring for carbon tetrachloride and benzene in the summer of 2008. Supplies were selected for areas that may be impacted by leakage from service station gasoline storage. All fourteen water results for both carbon tetrachloride and benzene were less than detection limits.
2005 – Application of CCME Procedures for Deriving Site Specific Water Quality Guidelines for the CCME Water Quality Index
This paper presents the adaptation and implementation of a Site-Specific Water Quality Index calculator and tool.
2005 – The Canadian Water Quality Index: A Tool for Water Resources Management (Water Resources Management Division)
This paper presents and discusses diverse examples of the CCME Water Quality Index (WQI) being used as a water resources management tool.
2004 – Modification and Application of the CCME WQI for the Communication of Drinking Water Quality Data in Newfoundland and Labrador
This paper describes the application of the CCME Water Quality Index (WQI) as a communications tool for reporting drinking water quality results.
2001 – Source to Tap – Water Supplies in Newfoundland and Labrador
This report provided information on the overall state of public water supplies using the source to tap approach. It also outlined government’s future plan of action to ensure drinking water safety.

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Wastewater

Note: all links below are PDFs and will open in a new window.

Study on Identification and Characteristics of Sewer Overflows in Newfoundland and Labrador (3.4 MB)
This report identifies and characterizes both combined and sanitary sewer overflows located on public wastewater collection systems throughout the province.

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Other Water Quality Reports Available

State of Aquatic Ecosystems on the Island of Newfoundland
This report is an assessment of wadeable streams in Newfoundland using biomonitoring data for 2006-2019.
Water Quality Trends in Selected Surface Water Bodies of Newfoundland and Labrador
This report examined trends in 36 different water quality parameters from 65 different water quality monitoring stations using data from 1986-2001.
Water Monitoring Section
Other water quality reports are available for various ambient water bodies (non-drinking water) in the province, including annual work schedules, progress reports and technical reports.

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Groundwater

Hydrogeology of Agricultural Development Areas
This study is a detailed hydrogeological assessment of Agricultural Designated Areas (ADAs) in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It was carried out as part of the Canada – Newfoundland and Labrador National Water Supply Expansion Program to increase knowledge of the hydrogeology of the province’s ADAs, and to determine the suitability and availability of groundwater supply for agricultural needs in these areas.
Hydrogeology of Eastern Newfoundland
This is the first of four new hydrogeology reports that will cover all areas of the province. The main objective of this study is to determine the physical characteristics of the major geological units in relation to the occurrence, availability, and quality of the constituent groundwater and to define in latter terms the aquifer potential. This study is based entirely on available data sources for the groundwater resources of the Eastern Newfoundland region. Three accompanying maps outline the hydrogeological resources.
Hydrogeology of Central Newfoundland
This is the second of four new hydrogeology reports that will cover all areas of the province. The main objective of this study is to determine the physical characteristics of the major geological units in relation to the occurrence, availability, and quality of the constituent groundwater and to define in latter terms the aquifer potential. This study is based entirely on available data sources for the groundwater resources of the Central Newfoundland region. Four accompanying maps outline the hydrogeological resources.
Hydrogeology of Western Newfoundland
This is the third of four new hydrogeology reports that will cover all areas of the province. The main objective of this study is to determine the physical characteristics of the major geological units in relation to the occurrence, availability, and quality of the constituent groundwater and to define in latter terms the aquifer potential. This study is based entirely on available data sources for the groundwater resources of the Western Newfoundland region. Three accompanying maps outline the hydrogeological resource
Hydrogeology of Labrador (12.9 MB)
Groundwater Under Direct Influence of Surface Water (GUDI) – Newfoundland and Labrador (38.3 MB)
Drilled Well Database Evaluation and Correction (6 MB)
Groundwater Vulnerability Mapping Eastern Newfoundland
- Executive Summary (1.7 MB)
- Task 1: Data Compilation (34.3 MB)
- Task 2: Study Area Hydrogeology (25.7 MB)
- Task 3: Results and Analysis (121 MB)
Hydrogeological Assessment of Cold Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador (4.8 MB)
The objective of this study is to determine what impact, if any; new private developments in Cold Brook will have on the Town of Stephenville water supply.
Well Head Protection Area Delineation for Small Municipal Groundwater Supplies (44 MB)

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Flooding and Hydrology

Flood Risk Mapping
In Newfoundland and Labrador, we try to discourage flood-vulnerable development on flood plains. The province, in cooperation with the federal government, undertook hydrotechnical studies and mapping of flood risk areas. The maps, completed for 38 communities,delineate the flood risk zones for floods with a return period of 20 years (5% chance in any year) and 100 years (1% chance in any year).
- Flood Risk Public Information Maps
  These maps are used for public information and are suitable for general reference only.
- Hydrotechnical Reports and AutoCAD mapping
  This page has scanned pdf files of all of the hydrotechnical reports produced under this program. It also has digital mapping in the form of AutoCAD files for almost all of these areas.
The Application of Earth Observation Technology to Improve Water Resource Management in Newfoundland and Labrador (1 MB)
Water resource issues are often very complex and frequently require large amounts of diverse data. Effective management of water resources can be greatly aided by methods which allow for timely and accurate data collection. The use of Earth Observation (EO) technologies such as satellite based monitoring can be very useful as it can provide a cost-effective means of replacing or complimenting field data collection. This report outlines current and future uses of EO technologies in the Water Resources Management Division.
Badger Flood 2003 Situation Report
The Town of Badger has a long history of flooding dating back to 1916. However, the February 15 event was the most severe in terms of depth of inundation and damages to the town. The mechanism was also different, particularly with respect to the rate of rise of the water level. This report provides a description of the event, outlines the data that is available to carry out further investigations, describes the response of the Water Resources Management Division (WRMD) and other agencies to the flood event and makes conclusions and recommendations.
Badger Flood 2013 Situation Report
The Field Report for a flooding event at Badger in February 2013.
Characteristics and Estimation of Minimum Streamflows for Newfoundland and Labrador
This report describes the characteristics of low streamflows for the Province. Equations which may be used to predict the expected low flow of given duration and return period on ungauged streams are then presented. The characteristics and estimation of low flows are important for water resources engineering and management applications such as estimating available water supply for municipal and industrial uses, determining the waste-water effluent dilution period of a receiving stream and generally for environmental impact studies.
Cottage Development Planning in Newfoundland (1994) (25 MB)
The Island of Newfoundland has an innumerable number of freshwater lakes and ponds, some of which are attractive recreational areas and under intense pressure for development. Unguided development of these recreationally important areas will result in social and environmental problems and it is, therefore, important to address this issue during the recreational (cottage development) planning of such areas.
Deer Lake Seepage Investigation (1.1 MB)
This technical memo is based on discussions with area residents, staff of the Town of Deer Lake and Deer Lake Power, and two site investigations undertaken by the staff of the Water Resources Management Division. The report outlines possible sources and causes of the water seepage and probable corrective measures.
The Flood of January 1983 in Central Newfoundland (3.8 MB)
During a major storm in January 1983 flooding and related property damages, at that time unprecedented in the recorded history of Newfoundland, were experienced in Central and South Coast areas. The flood was caused by a combination of storm rainfall and rapid snowmelt.
A Guide to Storage Yield Analysis at Ungauged River Sites
The effect of man-made instream storage on the naturally variable rate of streamflow must be considered in the assessment of surface water availability for any major use such as municipal water supply and hydro power generation.When site specific streamflow data are not available, storage-yield curves determined at one or more nearby gauging stations may have to be used.This guide presents the updated non-dimensional storage-yield curves for 66 gauged watersheds.
The Hydrology of Labrador
This package consists of a 106 page report and 400+ pages of appendices. The objectives of this study were to characterize the hydrology of Labrador and to develop procedures for transferring hydrological information from large gauged watersheds to small ungauged watersheds. The hydrological characteristics of large gauged watersheds in Labrador were obtained by analysing the available physiographic, climatic and streamflow data. Flood characteristics were transferred to smaller watersheds by integrating into the analysis, flood data from hydrologically similar watersheds in Quebec and Central Newfoundland. The appendices consist of all of the annual hydrographs of daily streamflow in Labrador and other plots of hydrological and climatic variables.
Hydrology of the Transboundary Rivers of Southern Labrador (16.6 MB)
Newfoundland and Labrador operates a hydrometric network that measures streamflow at selected stations on an hourly basis. 14 stations are located in watersheds that are shared with the province of Quebec. The report provides an overview of available hydrotechnical data in this region of the province.
Regional Flood Frequency Analysis for Newfoundland and Labrador (2014)
The annual cost of flooding to public property in Newfoundland and Labrador is estimated to be in the millions of dollars range. Accurate flood flow estimates are needed for the efficient design of instream structures (culverts, bridges, spillways, etc.) and for floodplain management. The locations for which flood flow estimates are required usually do not have streamflow data which could be used to directly estimate the flood flows. This study, like four previous studies (1971, 1984, 1990, 1999), derives a set of equations for estimating return period flood flows in ungauged watersheds. The 2014 study is the first to provide equations for Labrador.
Regional Flood Frequency Analysis for Newfoundland and Labrador Using the L-Moments Index-Flood Method (Yang Lu – 2016)
The L-moments based index-flood procedure had been successfully applied for Regional Flood Frequency Analysis (RFFA) for the Island of Newfoundland in 2002 using data up to 1998. This thesis, however, considered both Labrador and the Island of Newfoundland using the L-Moments index-flood method with flood data up to 2013.
Regional Water Resources Studies
Regional water resources studies have been completed for portions of the province during two time periods. In 1968 a study was completed for selected regions on the Island and Labrador. From 1987 to 1993 studies were completed for all of the Island. These studies provide background information to assist in water planning and management activities.
Waterford River Basin Urban Hydrology Study (1980-85)
The Waterford River Basin Urban Hydrology Study, developed as a co-operative effort between the Governments of Canada and the Province of Newfoundland, was proposed by the Newfoundland Department of Environment in response to watershed management problems that had resulted from urbanization of the Waterford River Basin. Among such problems, negative effects of urbanization on both water quality and quantity were perceived to be serious enough that the Newfoundland Department of the Environment identified the Waterford River basin as a high priority area. The five year study, which began in 1980, was mostly completed by March, 1985. The primary objectives of the study were to develop environmentally acceptable criteria for urban development in Newfoundland and to utilize the study results directly in the urban planning process in the Province.
Water Resources Atlas of Newfoundland – 1992
The Water Resources Atlas of Newfoundland is a source of general information on water resources in the province as well as a reference in the preliminary planning and design stages of water resource projects. The Atlas describes the physiography, geology, climatology, hydrology, water quality, groundwater and water uses of the province. The hydrology section gives information on: drainage basins, river gauges, major lakes, reservoirs, river ice, flood zones, as well as maximum, minimum, mean, monthly and annual streamflows. The Atlas also includes 32 summary maps accompanied by supporting text, illustrations and photographs.
Climate Change and Water Resources in Newfoundland and Labrador
This report presents the Issues and Challenges associated with Climate Change and Water Resource Management in Newfoundland and Labrador. It also discusses the Adaptation Strategies adopted by the Water Resources Management Division.

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Dam Safety

Inventory and Assessment of Dams in Newfoundland and Labrador – Year 3 (3 MB)
This report documents updates to the provincial dam inventory database, information on dam break flood inundation mapping, and an assessment of risk posed by select dams in Western Newfoundland and Labrador.
Inventory and Assessment of Dams in NL – Year 2 (3 MB)
This report documents updates to the provincial dam inventory database, information on public safety incidents around dams, and an assessment of risk posed by select dams in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Inventory and Assessment of Dams in Eastern Newfoundland (3 MB)
This report documents updates to the provincial dam inventory database, information on past dam failures in NL, and an assessment of risk posed by select dams in Eastern Newfoundland.
Newfoundland and Labrador Dam Safety Program
This report documents the history of the province’s Dam Safety Program and identifies activities necessary for improved dam safety management in the province.
2012 – Gullbridge Dam Breach and Town of South Brook

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