Project Overview
Drinking Water Source Protection
The Clean Water Act requires that all of Ontario's present and future sources of municipal drinking water, including inland lakes, rivers, groundwater and the Great Lakes, are protected through a watershed based source protection plan. The planning process began in 2005 with capacity building and is expected to take up to seven years to complete. Stakeholder input and public consultation will play a significant part throughout the process to ensure the development of a plan that makes sense at a local level. The planning process is funded 100% by the Province of Ontario.
Capacity Building (2005 - 2006)
The identification of North Bay-Mattawa Source Protection Region and the establishment of the local project team at the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority. Focus was on capacity building and the initial assessment of scientific data and knowledge on the region's source water to date.
Gathering of scientific information and development of maps and communication tools (2006 - Ongoing)
In anticipation of the formation of the Source Protection Committee (Phase 3), the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority's Drinking Water Source Protection staff are currently working on identifying vulnerable areas, inventorying threats and drafting the watershed characterization and assessment report. Preliminary intake protection zones and wellhead protection areas (which will be the area of focus for the plan) have been identified for the five municipal systems. Work is now being conducted on the identification of significant threats and risks within those areas. Local working groups will also provide support and input throughout the process.
Formation of the Source Protection Committee (2007)
Following the proclamation of the Clean Water Act and regulations, a local Committee Chair will be selected and the Source Protection Committee (SPC) will be formed. The committee will be comprised of local representatives from municipalities, industry, agriculture and the general public. The SPC will be responsible for developing the Terms of Reference which will govern their planning process and lay out planning roles and responsibilities. Formal public consultation on the terms of reference will be required before approval.
Local Assessment Report (2010)
The SPC will review the draft assessment report and watershed characterization which will be based on the technical data. The report will clearly outline the key characteristics of the region's watersheds, such as water quality and quantity and identification of the areas surrounding the municipal water supply intakes and wells. The assessment report will also include identification of potential and existing risks and threats to the source water. Formal public consultation will occur on the local assessment report before approval by Ontario's Minister of the Environment.
Development and approval of the Source Protection Plan (2012)
Once the assessment report is approved by the Minister of the Environment, the SPC will begin work on the local Source Protection Plan. The Source Protection Plan will identify the existing and future activities that pose a significant risk to the source water for local municipal drinking water systems with policies that reduce or eliminate the risk within the designated zone around the water intake or municipal well. Once the Source Protection Plan is approved, municipalities will then implement the plan through their own official plans and bylaws.
