Approved Amendments to the Nottawasaga Valley and Severn Sound Assessment Reports and associated South Georgian Bay Lake Simcoe Source Protection Plan

The Ontario government is committed to protecting our lakes, waterways and groundwater supply, now and for future generations. To ensure that Ontario’s municipal drinking water sources continue to be protected in Oro-Medonte Township, the Minister has approved recent amendments to the Nottawasaga Valley and Severn Sound Assessment Reports and associated South Georgian Bay Lake Simcoe Source Protection Area’s Source Protection Plan. These amendments were initiated and recommended by the South Georgian Bay Lake Simcoe Source Protection Committee.

Working with our partners, our strong source protection framework will continue to help ensure Ontario’s drinking water is held to high safety standards and that sources of drinking water in the province are protected for future generations.

Amendments to the assessment report and source protection plan

These changes approve the use and inclusion of two municipal drinking water wells to the South Georgian Bay Lake Simcoe Source Protection Plan: one each in Horseshoe Highlands and Craighurst drinking water systems in the township of Oro-Medonte. Revisions were made to update the vulnerable area mapping for the two wells.

The source protection authority completed the amendments in accordance with the legislative and regulatory requirements set out in the Clean Water Act, 2006, Ontario Regulation 287/07 (General) and associated Technical Rules.

These amendments take effect upon this posting of the Minister’s approval on the Environmental Registry.

Other public consultation opportunities

The Severn Sound Environmental Association and Nottawasaga Valley Source Protection Authority held consultations while the amendments were being developed. They invited comments from:

• implementing bodies (including the provincial government and local municipalities) of vulnerable area changes
• the public and implicated landowners
• the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks

The Severn Sound Environmental Association held public consultation on the proposed amendments for Horseshoe Highlands from Feb 16 – March 24, 2023.

The Nottawasaga Valley Source Protection Authority held public consultation on the proposed amendments for Craighurst from March 10 – April 19, 2023.

The source protection authority considered and addressed comments received and made appropriate revisions, where needed, before submitting the proposed amendments to the Ministry for approval. The Ministry also considered the comments received as part of the review process.

The approved amendments to the Severn Sound and Nottawasaga Valley assessment reports and the associated South Georgian Bay Lake Simcoe Source Protection Plan are available on the South Georgian Bay Lake Simcoe Region’s website.

Other information

The Minister has concluded that the legislative and regulatory requirements under the Clean Water Act, 2006 have been met and that the comments the source protection authority received during consultation on the Lake Simcoe Assessment Report and South Georgian Bay Lake Simcoe Source Protection Plan amendments have been adequately considered and addressed.