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Water Quality 50% open

Canada

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Note: The methodology used in the Global Open Data Index has changed over time; significantly so between 2015 and 2016. For this reason, the results are not directly comparable over time.

What data is expected?

Data, measured at the water source, on the quality of water is essential for both the delivery of services and the prevention of diseases. The Index either looks at the quality of designated drinking water sources, or of environmental water sources (if drinking water data is not available). See our methodology for more information. In order to satisfy the minimum requirements for this category, data should be available on level of the following chemicals by water source.

  • Fecal coliform
  • Arsenic
  • Fluoride levels
  • Nitrates
  • Total Dissolved Solids
  • Data per water source
  • Available for entire country

How open is the data?

This is a complicated set of data that does not lend itself well to the nature of the questions asked here. Water quality measures and monitoring and surveillance is a multi-jurisdictional responsibility in Canada as the number of fresh water bodies is the highest in the world and these are not all in populated areas. The data that are assessed are collected for specific sites which are part of the EC Fresh Water Monitoring network. Canada is an incredibly large country with some of the greatest numbers of water sources in the world. It is not possible to have all the water monitored. Therefore sites are monitored where populations and campers have access to. In addition, the jurisdiction for water monitoring is not at the federal level as inland waters are the responsibility of the provinces and the territories and cities. Read here https://ec.gc.ca/eaudouce-freshwater/default.asp?lang=En&n=50947E1B-1 and see the variables list here for one particular site https://aquatic.pyr.ec.gc.ca/webdataonlinenational/en/Measurements/ChooseVariables/Sites/YT08AB0010/Projects/PYLTM/Regions/0 Also see https://www.ec.gc.ca/eaudouce-freshwater/default.asp?lang=En&n=EFDA57C6-1 Different monitoring stations update at different rates. See here https://ec.gc.ca/eaudouce-freshwater/default.asp?lang=En&n=50947E1B-1 and see here https://www.ec.gc.ca/eaudouce-freshwater/default.asp?lang=En&n=EFDA57C6-1 The data must be downloaded by station. This is a massive and complicated database and it does not make sense to download all at once unless one is a scientists and has the database resources to do so. Read here https://ec.gc.ca/eaudouce-freshwater/default.asp?lang=En&n=50947E1B-1 also see https://www.ec.gc.ca/eaudouce-freshwater/default.asp?lang=En&n=EFDA57C6-1 The data is not openly licensed, because only non-commercial re-use allowed (https://ec.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&xml=5830C36B-1773-4E3E-AF8C-B21F54633E0A)

The original submission by Tracey P. Lauriault was correct. However, not all data is up-to-date, which is why this parameter was changed. Thank you very much, Tracey P. Lauriault, for contributing to the Global Open Data Index.

Data location   https://ec.gc.ca/eaudouce-freshwater/default.asp?lang=En - Environment Canada Fresh Water Quality Monitoring & Surveillance
Data licence   Unknown
Data format   SHP, WFS, XML
Reviewer   Danny Lämmerhirt
Submitters   Danny Lämmerhirt
Last modified   Fri Apr 14 2017 10:08:57 GMT+0000 (UTC)

Contributors

Reviewers

  • Danny Lämmerhirt

Submitters

  • Danny Lämmerhirt
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