Approval to further protect sources of drinking water in the Grand River Source Protection Area

The Clean Water Act, 2006 protects existing and future sources of drinking water.

The Act ensures communities are able to protect their drinking water sources through prevention - by developing collaborative, locally driven, watershed based drinking water source protection plans founded on science. Protecting local drinking water sources is an important first step in ensuring Ontario’s communities are confident in the quality and quantity of their drinking water. Assessment reports and source protection plans are updated from time to time as needed.

Amendments to the assessment report and source protection plan

The Grand River Conservation Authority prepared the amendments to help further protect sources of drinking water.

The amendments include

1. Grey County (Township of Southgate) - new and updated wellhead protection areas due to a new well for the Dundalk drinking water system
2. City of Hamilton - new and updated wellhead protection areas due to a new well for the Lynden Communal Well Supply
3. County of Brant - new and updated wellhead protection areas for the following drinking water systems:

• Airport – one new well and revised wellhead protection areas
• St. George – two new wells, revised wellhead protection areas, and updated protection zone where nitrates are elevated
• Mount Pleasant - revised wellhead protection areas and removal of the protection zone where chloride is no longer elevated
• Paris (Bethel Road) - revised wellhead protection areas and removal of the protection zone where nitrates are no longer elevated

In the source protection plan, no new policies were added, and only minor administrative revisions were made to existing policies for improved clarity. This means that the existing policies with minor revisions will apply to the expanded and updated protection area.

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

The amendments take effect upon posting on the Environmental Registry.

Other public consultation opportunities

The Grand River Conservation Authority held consultations while the amendments were being developed. They invited comments from:

• the public
• implementing bodies affected by changes to the protection zones, including the provincial government and local municipalities
• the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks

The source protection authority also held public consultation on the proposed amendments from February 12 to March 18, 2019.

The source protection authority considered comments and made appropriate revisions. We considered comments received as part of the review process.

The approved amendments to the Grand River Assessment Report and Source Protection Plan are available via the link provided in this notice and on the Lake Erie Source Protection Region website.

Other information

The minister has concluded that the legislative requirements under the Clean Water Act, 2006 have been met and that comments the source protection authority received during consultation on the assessment report and source protection plan amendments have been adequately considered and addressed.