Approved updates to the Catfish Creek Assessment Report and Source Protection Plan

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

The Grand River Source Protection Authority suggested changes to update the assessment report and source protection plan to align with the 2021 Technical Rules.

The assessment report for the Brownsville Water Supply System in the Township of South-West Oxford has been updated to include the latest data on:

• groundwater
• surface water quality
• climate conditions in the Catfish Creek watershed

Editorial changes were made for precision.

In the source protection plan, 46 old policies were updated to make them clearer. A rule that banned new snow storage was removed because its concerns are now covered by another existing policy. Additionally, eight new policies were added to deal with the threats from industrial sewage discharges, road salt handling and storage, and liquid hydrocarbon pipelines.

The Grand River Conservation Authority held consultations when the updates were being developed. Public consultation was held from January 25, 2023 to February 28, 2023. Following the Clean Water Act, 2006, they invited comments from:

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

We have concluded that the comments received during consultation 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 will be effective as soon as the Minister’s approval is posted on the Environmental Registry. The approved updates to the Catfish Creek Source Protection Plan and the Catfish Creek Assessment Report are available on the Lake Erie Source Protection Region website.