Welcome
Source water protection means protecting our sources of drinking water from contamination or overuse. These sources of water can include surface water, such as lakes, rivers or streams, or groundwater that supplies our wells.
The provincial government introduced proposed new legislation in December 2005, called the Clean Water Act. The Clean Water Act, was passed on October 19, 2006. It provides the legislative basis for source water protection planning.
Background
In 2000, the Walkerton tragedy showed us how vulnerable our drinking water can be when it is not managed properly. The Walkerton Report called for many changes to how we manage drinking water in Ontario. A number of the recommendations emphasized the need for source water protection. The report also recommended that this be done on a watershed basis by Conservation Authorities.
Multi-Barrier Approach
Source water protection is the first barrier in a multi-barrier approach to protect our drinking water. This multi-barrier approach uses a combination of techniques:
- source water protection
- up-to-date water treatment systems
- reliable distribution systems
- professional training for water managers
- careful and regular testing of our water supplies.
Of course, the multi-barrier approach applies mainly to municipal water systems. In most of our rural areas where people rely on wells or surface water intakes for their drinking water, source water protection is often the only barrier available to protect drinking water.
Source water protection planning keeps our water clean not just for drinking purposes, but also for fish, wildlife and recreation. This is vital to the Cataraqui Region with our abundance of lakes, the Rideau Canal, Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.
Why are Conservation Authorities involved?
Ontario’s Conservation Authorities are recognized for their watershed management knowledge, and connections to local communities. Conservation Authorities have been asked by the province to coordinate a multi-year planning process involving municipalities, community organizations, industries and residents. The plans will be prepared on a watershed basis, either for individual watersheds or groups of watersheds.
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For a quick overview of drinking water source protection click here to view our video on YouTube.
- Official Notices
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The Cataraqui Source Protection Committee is making a series of presentations to municipal councils from January to March 2010. The purpose of the presentations is to bring councils up-to-date on our progress with drinking water source protection.
The public is welcome to attend these presentations.
Where space permits, there will be a small display set up and Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority staff will be available to answer questions following the presentations.
- For details go to the Official Notices page.
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- News
The Cataraqui Source Protection Committee is pleased to present a talk by Bruce Davidson of the Concerned Walkerton Citizens on Thursday, February 11, 2010.
It will be held at 8:00 p.m. at Davies Hall, St. Lawrence College in Kingston.
Everyone is welcome to attend.
