Despite the efforts of government to provide funding for water-related
infrastructures, small systems experience problems complying
with regulations and guidelines concerning drinking water quality
(Health Canada, 2010). Moreover, drinking water quality can vary seasonally
and location-wise within the DS (Al Khatib, 2005; Giannoulis
et al., 2004). Given their limited human resources, it is difficult for
small systems to control and maintain drinking water quality from
source to tap. In addition, there is limited information available about
the spatial and the temporal variability of drinking water quality in
small systems: basically, they are subject to fewer monitoring exigencies
than medium and large systems and their quality control resources
are limited (Gouvernement du Québec, 2012).