Proposed regulatory changes under the Clean Water Act, 2006, to align with new regional structure of conservation authorities

Ontario is committed to ensuring that existing and future sources of drinking water are protected from contamination and depletion through the Clean Water Act, 2006 (CWA) and its regulations.   

As source protection authorities, conservation authorities (CAs) deliver mandatory programs and services that implement the drinking water source protection program under the CWA. To support the regional consolidation of conservation authorities, the government plans to introduce legislative amendments to the CWA and propose related regulatory changes to ensure consistency and coordination between the CWA and CAA. These amendments will support the efficient delivery of the drinking water source protection program through the transition to the new regional CA framework, including maintaining local watershed priorities in decision-making after consolidation.  

Protecting drinking water sources remains a government priority. Ontario continues to provide more than $7 million annually to source protection authorities and other recipients to support source water protection. 

This proposal notice focuses on the proposed regulatory changes under the CWA. Parallel Environmental and Regulatory Registry of Ontario postings outline the planned legislative amendments (RR 26-MECP017) to the CWA, and complementary regulatory proposals under the CAA (ERO# 026-1067) and the Lake Simcoe Protection Act (LSPA) (ERO# 026-1071). A summary of the legislative changes and list of regulatory proposals can be viewed here. 

Summary of Proposed Changes

The ministry is proposing to amend Ontario Regulations 284/07 and 288/07 under the CWA to align with the consolidation of conservation authorities under the CAA.  

The proposed amendments to O. Reg. 284/07 would: 

• Remove references to the predecessor CAs (i.e., the 36 CAs) and lead source protection authorities.​ 
• Add in reference to the nine regional CAs and the source protection areas that these regional CAs are responsible for as the source protection authority (which would be provided for in the planned statutory amendments).​ 
• For each regional CA, designate, for the purposes of the CWA, the participating municipalities of the regional CA, which will be only single-tier and upper-tier municipalities, to align with changes to the CAA.​ 

The proposed amendments to O. Reg. 288/07 would: 

• Remove reference to the lead source protection authorities.​ 
• Identify the source protection committee(s) that each regional conservation authority, as the source protection authority, will be responsible for supporting during the period before watershed councils are established, as shown below.​ 

• Northwestern Ontario Regional Conservation Authority 
  • Lakehead Region Source Protection Committee
• Northeastern Ontario Regional Conservation Authority  
  • Mattagami Region Source Protection Committee 
  • Nickel District Source Protection Committee  
  • North Bay-Mattawa Source Protection Committee  
  • Sault Ste. Marie Region Source Protection Committee  
• Western Lake Erie Regional Conservation Authority   
  • Thames-Sydenham Source Protection Committee 
  • Essex Region Source Protection Committee  
• Eastern Lake Erie Regional Conservation Authority   
  • Lake Erie Region Source Protection Committee  
• St. Lawrence River Regional Conservation Authority 
  • Mississippi-Rideau Source Protection Committee  
  • Raisin-South Nation Source Protection Committee  
• Eastern Lake Ontario Regional Conservation Authority  
  • Cataraqui Source Protection Committee  
  • Trent Conservation Coalition Source Protection Committee  
  • Quinte Source Protection Committee  
• Central Lake Ontario Regional Conservation Authority  
  • CTC Source Protection Committee  
• Western Lake Ontario Regional Conservation Authority 
  • Halton-Hamilton Source Protection Committee  
  • Niagara Peninsula Source Protection Committee  
• Lake Huron Regional Conservation Authority  
  • Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Source Protection Committee  
  • South Georgian Bay Lake Simcoe Source Protection Committee  
  • Saugeen, Grey Sauble, Northern Bruce Peninsula Source Protection Committee  

If made, these regulatory amendments would align with planned legislative amendments to the CWA under the new regional CA framework, which would maintain the existing source protection areas and source protection plans and the strong safeguards in place to protect sources of drinking water. These proposed regulatory amendments would ensure the continued and uninterrupted delivery of the province’s drinking water source protection program.  

Providing Feedback 
We welcome your feedback on the proposed regulatory amendments. Comments may be submitted through this posting or by email to Source.Protection@Ontario.ca.  

We are also seeking your input and ideas to inform a future regulatory proposal governing watershed councils under the CAA. To review the discussion questions and provide input, please visit the Watershed Councils Discussion Questions page (ERO# 026-1075). 

Analysis of regulatory impact 

The government is proposing to amend regulations under the CWA. The regulatory impact of this proposal is expected to be minimal and administrative in nature (i.e., minor updates to source protection plans and staff training). 

The approach proposed through this posting is intended to ensure consistency and coordination between the CWA and the CAA and to support the efficient delivery of the source protection program to the new regional conservation authorities framework.  

Through this posting, we welcome comments on anticipated benefits or costs to better help the ministry understand the real costs or cost savings associated with this proposal.