Section 34 Source Protection Plan amendments were approved on May 21, 2025 by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) for the Saugeen, Grey Sauble, Northern Bruce Peninsula Source Protection Region.
The focus of the Source Protection Plan amendments addressed the following areas:
1. New/amended Wellhead Protection Areas (WHPAs) for Scott Point and Minto Pines;
2. Revisions to Chapter 4 of the Saugeen Valley Assessment Report to reflect changes to the Scott Point and Minto Pines drinking water systems, including updated risk assessments;
3. Updated mapping for managed lands, livestock density and impervious surfaces due to changes to the Scott Point and Minto Pines WHPAs;
4. Policy changes (02-05) for discretionary septic maintenance inspections – Lake Rosalind; and
5. Minor edits to source protection plan snow storage threat policies and impervious surface area map legends made under Sec. 51.
The Source Protection Plan sets out policies that use a variety of approaches to protect municipal drinking water sources, including education and outreach, the development of risk management plans, prohibition, land use planning, and monitoring. These policies will help keep contaminants out of our aquifers, rivers and lakes that are sources of drinking water. The policies in the Approved Plan came into effect on July 1, 2016.
The Source Protection Committee has pursued the goal of clean safe drinking water for residents and visitors to this Region and will continue these efforts as we continue with Source Protection Plan implementation.
The source protection planning process is directed and funded by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks in conjunction with municipalities.
For more information and to view maps of vulnerable areas where policies apply, please visit our website: home.waterprotection.ca.
Quick Facts:
This Region is home to more than 160,000 people and covers approximately 8400 square kilometres.
The Source Protection Region contains 38 municipal residential drinking water systems including 29 groundwater sources (aquifers), 8 surface water sources, and 1 combined system.
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For more information contact:
Carl Seider, Project Manager, c.seider@waterprotection.ca 519-470-3000
To read the official Minister’s Approval letter: Section 34 Amendments Approved Minister Letter 2025
To review about the updates on the Environmental Registry of Ontario, bulletin #025-0383 https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/025-0383