Watershed Management

Source Water Protection

• Watershed Conditions

  • Flood Advisory

  • Flood Forcasting and Warning

  • Low Water Response

• Regulations and Permits

• Environmental Services

• Watershed Management

• Conservation Lands

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• Otonabee Conservation Foundation

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  © 2009, ORCA.
  All rights reserved.
  Legal Notices

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SOURCE WATER PROTECTION

Water is critical to all aspects of our lives. We need to protect the sources of our drinking water to safeguard the health of Ontario residents and ensure there is enough water for everyone -- now and in the future.

Whether we live in an rural or urban area, our drinking water comes from lakes, rivers, streams or underground sources (aquifers) located across the province. All of these sources of water are linked in a watershed through the water, or hydrologic, cycle. Drinking water sources can be easily contaminated and have a limited tolerance for stress. Long term problems can develop that are costly or even impossible to correct.

In order to make sure we have enough clean water for drinking and other uses, we need to protect our sources of drinking water by managing the influences on them. The best way to protect these sources is on a watershed basis because water flows across municipal boundaries.

Drinking water is best protected by taking an approach that uses multiple barriers to prevent contamination from affecting our drinking water. Known as the multi-barrier approach, it includes:

• taking actions to prevent contamination of sources of our water
• using adequate water treatment and distribution systems
• water testing
• training of water managers.

In 2000, the Walkerton tragedy showed us how vulnerable our drinking water can be when not managed properly. One key recommendation from the Walkerton Report was to use the multi-barrier approach, where source water protection is considered the first barrier to ensuring safe drinking water.

The Otonabee Region Conservation Authority has partnered with four other Conservation Authorities in the region (Crowe Valley, Ganaraska Region, Kawartha Region and Lower Trent) to start to develop an understanding of the sources of our drinking water. Under the umbrella of the Trent Conservation Coalition, we will be working with our municipalities, other stakeholders and the public to facilitate the development of plans that will serve to protect our drinking water while taking into account the other needs of our communities.

In order to help you stay fully informed about source water protection, the Trent Conservation Coalition (TCC) is hosting a website at www.trentsourceprotection.on.ca. (Please note, this site opens in a new window.) It contains up-to-date information on source water protection legislation, TCC initiatives, TCC media releases and more.

www.trentsourceprotection.on.ca

For information about source water initiatives within the Otonabee Region Watershed, please contact Meredith Carter, Manager, Environmental Services, Otonabee Conservation at 705-745-5791, extension 223.

This project made possible through the support of the Government of Ontario.

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