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Source Water Protection Plan went into effect December 31

January 6, 2016   ·   0 Comments

A plan to protect local drinking water sources took effect December 31, 2015.

The provincially approved Credit Valley, Toronto and Region, Central Lake Ontario (CTC) Source Protection Plan introduces new policies that aim to protect local sources of drinking water. The plan puts restrictions on activities that pose a threat to the quality and quantity of municipal water supplies.

Mandated under provincial legislation called the Clean Water Act 2006, the CTC Source Protection Plan and its policies were developed by a group of stakeholders representing different interest groups from across the CTC Source Protection Region.

Under the Source Protection Plan and Clean Water Act, municipalities are given the responsibility and authority to implement source protection policies in order to prevent contamination and depletion of local drinking water sources.

The Credit Valley, Toronto and Region, and Central Lake Ontario source protection region is one of the 19 source protection regions across Ontario.

The region has 27 municipal drinking water systems that serve approximately 95 per cent of the area’s 6.7 million residents.

Many municipalities in Ontario, including Orangeville and parts of Dufferin County, will now be responsible for:

• reating risk management plans to reduce the risks to drinking water associated with road salt, chemical handling and storage, fuel storage, commercial fertilizers, and agricultural activities

• roviding information to the community on best management practices for conserving water, handling, storing and applying road salt, commercial fertilizers, and pesticides,

• eveloping or updating water conservation plans to support future growth and development

• mproving partnerships to protect the Great Lakes.

Landowners planning to develop or build around municipal water supplies will be required to provide additional information about the activities they intend to undertake as part of their proposed development.

Those submitting a planning or building permit application within the Town’s source protection vulnerable areas will need to ensure that their application conforms with the source protection policies; in some cases this may require applicants to make adjustments to plans to ensure that their proposed operation does not create a potential threat to drinking water.

The Town’s Risk Management Official will review proposed plans to ensure that the requirements of the source protection policies are met and advise applicants of their options.

Landowners and residents undertaking activities identified as drinking water threats may be required to develop and implement Risk Management Plans. Risk Management Plans are site specific documents negotiated between the Town’s Risk Management Official and the person engaged in the threat activity.

They outline the measures to be taken to ensure that any activity identified as a significant drinking water threat is managed.

Orangeville is introducing some fun branding for the source water protection education campaign. Walter the Water Drop will be a familiar symbol for messages about source water protection and local drinking water threats. Whether it’s salt use or fuel storage, Walter will appear with the appropriate props to deliver the message.

The Risk Management Official and Risk Management Inspector are responsible for protecting the Town’s water supplies and implementing the policies in the source protection plan.

They will be able to tell residents and landowners whether source protection policies apply to their specific operation, and the particular requirements of relevant policies.

They will also provide advice and guidance to those affected by the policies. Orangeville Council has appointed Heather McGinnity as Risk Management Official and Risk Management Inspector, and Irena Kontrec as Risk Management Inspector.

For more information on source protection areas and threats to water sources, visit www.ontario.ca/page/source-protection.

For more information on the CTC Source Protection Plan, visit http://www.ctcswp.ca.

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