Approved amendments to the Upper Thames River, Lower Thames Valley, and St. Clair Region Assessment Reports and Volume III of the Thames-Sydenham and Region Source Protection Plan

The Clean Water Act, 2006 (CWA) supports communities in protecting their drinking water sources from contamination and depletion. It does this by encouraging the creation of collaborative, science-based, source water protection plans that are locally driven and focused on prevention.

Changes proposed by the Upper Thames River Source Protection Authority are for the addition of a new protection zone for the backup intake of the Lambton Area Water Supply System that serves the City of Sarnia, the Township of St. Clair, the Town of Plympton-Wyoming, the Township of Warwick, the Village of Point Edward, and the Municipality of Lambton Shores. The changes are also to further update the plan to align with the 2021 technical rules.

The Upper Thames River Source Protection Authority conducted consultation from April 7, 2025 to May 11, 2025. In accordance with the Clean Water Act, 2006, feedback was sought from:

• implementing bodies, including provincial government ministries and local municipalities
• members of the public and affected landowners
• First Nations with reserves within the impacted area including the Aamjiwnaang First Nation, Bkejwanong Walpole Island First Nation, Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation, Eelünaapéewi Lahkéewiit (Delaware Nation at Moraviantown), Munsee-Delaware First Nation, and the Oneida Nation of the Thames

The source protection authority considered and addressed comments received from four local municipalities including the City of Sarnia, Municipality of Chatham-Kent, Township of Perth East, and the Municipality of West Perth who primarily sought clarification on policies and the implication of policies which did not result in any changes being made to the plan policies.

Comments were also received from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness related to a policy addressing processed organic waste which resulted in the policy being revised. The technical and administrative comments that were provided by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks resulted in revisions to the assessment reports and to plan policies to improve content clarity and accuracy. Lastly, two landowners raised questions about the impacts of a prohibition for the application of commercial fertilizer policy on their properties. Source protection authority staff addressed their questions without requiring any changes to the policy itself.

The minister has concluded that the comments the source protection authority received during consultation on the Upper Thames River, Lower Thames Valley, and St. Clair Region Assessment Reports and Volume III of the Thames Sydenham and Region Source Protection Plan amendments have been adequately considered and addressed, and that the legislative and regulatory requirements under the Clean Water Act, 2006 relating to the amendments have been met.

These amendments take effect upon posting of the minister’s approval on the Environmental Registry. The approved amendments to Volume III of the Thames Sydenham and Region Source Protection Plan and Lower Thames Valley and St. Clair Region Assessment Reports are available on the Thames Sydenham and Region Source Protection Region’s website.