Approved updates to the Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Source Protection Plans and associated Assessment Reports for the Ausable Bayfield and Maitland Valley Source Protection Areas

The CWA ensures communities protect their drinking water supplies through prevention – by developing collaborative, watershed-based source protection plans that are locally driven and based on science.

Working with our partners, our strong 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.

The Ausable Bayfield and Maitland Valley Source Protection Authorities prepared these updates to ensure the continued protection of sources of drinking water in this region.

Updates to the assessment reports

The updates to the assessment reports include:

• updated risk assessments for above-ground fuel handling and storage and for hydrocarbon pipelines to ensure the risk these activities pose to sources of drinking water is identified and addressed
• revised water quality protection areas around the wells of the Auburn (Municipality of Central Huron), Palmerston (Town of Minto), Wingham (Municipality of North Huron), and Belgrave (Municipality of Morris-Turnberry) drinking water systems
• incorporation of the water quantity risk assessment for the Century Heights (Municipality of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh) drinking water system
• Updated mapping of significant groundwater recharge areas (SGRA), impervious surface areas, managed lands, and livestock density

Updates to the source protection plans

The updates to the source protection plans include a combination of revisions, additions, and/or removal of policies to align with changes made to the 2021 Technical Rules under the CWA and/or to address policy implementation challenges. The changes include:

• revisions to three policies for the handling and storage of fuel along with the removal and replacement of an education and outreach policy with a risk management plan policy
• a new policy to manage future pipeline threat activities through appropriate design standards and monitoring and maintenance practices
• three new policies, changes to an existing policy, and the removal of two policies to address the risk to drinking water sources from the handling, storage, and application of road salt
• revisions to two policies related for the handling and storage of dense non-aqueous phase liquids
• revisions to four previously approved policies to address activities associated with waste disposal sites, along with the replacement of a prohibition policy with a risk management plan policy for waste disposal sites not governed by a ministry issued approval
• revisions to four previously approved policies to address sewage threat activities and the removal of six previously approved sewage works policies to address sewage threat activities because other existing policies sufficiently address the risk to the sources of drinking water
• revisions to two previously approved snow storage policies
• minor revisions to eight agricultural policies to improve their clarity along with a new policy for the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs to review its approvals issued under the Nutrient Management Act, 2002 that govern agricultural source material and non-agricultural source material where these activities pose a significant risk to the sources of drinking water
• a new policy for municipalities to develop and deliver an ongoing education and outreach program to affected landowners and stakeholders within vulnerable areas
• mapping for the Auburn, Belgrave, Wingham, and Palmerston drinking water systems within the Maitland Valley SPP, as well as updated mapping associated with significant groundwater recharge areas within both the Ausable Bayfield and Maitland Valley SPPs
• revisions to five effective date policies that would apply to drinking water threat activities within the newly mapped source protection vulnerable areas and new threat activities
• updates to policy codes to address duplication based on land use (i.e., agricultural, commercial, and residential)

All drinking water protection zones can be viewed on the Source Protection Information Atlas.

The source protection authorities completed the updates in accordance with the requirements set out in the CWA, Ontario Regulation 287/07 (general) and the Technical Rules.

The updates take effect upon the posting of this notice on the Environmental Registry.

Other public consultation opportunities

The Ausable Bayfield and Maitland Valley Source Protection Authorities held consultations while the updates were being developed. Public consultation was held from January 3, 2023 to February 10, 2023. Pursuant to the Clean Water Act, 2006, they invited comments from:

• bodies responsible for implementing plan policies (including provincial government ministries and local municipalities)
• the public and affected landowners
• Bands with reserves in the affected area

The questions and comments received during consultations sought clarification and further information about the updates with no significant concerns raised. The authorities considered and addressed comments received and made appropriate revisions and responses before submitting the proposed updates to the Ministry for approval.

We considered comments received by the source protection authorities as part of the review process.

Other information

The ministry has concluded that the comments the source protection authorities received during consultation on the updates to the assessment reports and source protection plans have been adequately considered and addressed, and that the legislative and regulatory requirements under the Clean Water Act, 2006 relating to the updates have been met.

These updates take effect upon this posting of this notice on the Environmental Registry.

The approved updates to the Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Source Protection Plans and Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Assessment Reports are available on the Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Source Protection Region’s website.