ERCA Eager to Move Forward in Drinking Water Source Protection

With the Clean Water Act and its first set of regulations officially in place as of July 3, 2007, the Essex Region Conservation Authority, Conservation Ontario and all member Conservation Authorities are eager to start forming local Source Protection Committees.

"The Clean Water Act is essential to protecting Ontario's drinking water sources," said Dick Hibma, Chair of Conservation Ontario. "With the first set of regulations in place, those conservation authorities tasked with the role of forming local source protection committees can begin to recruit committee members."

Over the summer and fall, 19 Source Protection Committees will be formed across the province and will, according to the new regulation, include local membership from municipalities, landowners, industry, business, First Nations, environmental groups and other stakeholders. A Source Protection Committee of 16 members will be established in the Essex Region Source Protection Area. These committee members will work together to build source protection plans and ensure municipal sources of drinking water are properly protected.

"Ensuring that the sources of our drinking water are protected for future generations is critically important," said Stan Taylor, Director of Source Protection. "While we have been conducting technical work for the past several years, we are excited to now move into the next phase of setting up the Source Protection Committee."

In addition to the regulation outlining the details of the Source Protection Committee formation, regulations that formally define the boundaries of Source Protection Areas, Regions for which Source Protection Plans will be created and details the terms of reference each committee must create also came into effect. Further regulations are scheduled to be drafted this fall and passed in late 2007 and early 2008.

Since the tragedy at Walkerton in May 2000, Conservation Authorities have worked with the province and other stakeholders, including municipalities and the farming community, to provide expertise in developing the best approach to source water protection. Source water protection builds on past science and studies and links directly to the water management programs Conservation Authorities and their partner municipalities have been doing for years.

ERCA is currently seeking expressions of interest for membership on the Source Protection Committee, and a formal nomination process will be advertised in coming weeks.