April 30, 2021
The Saugeen, Grey Sauble, Northern Bruce Peninsula Source Protection Committee (SPC) has approved the 2020 annual progress report to be submitted to the Province of Ontario. This progress report documents the achievements we have made together to implement source protection plan policies that add protection to local municipal drinking water sources. You may download this report from the website at https://home.waterprotection.ca/resources/publications/ page.

The local Source Protection Plan came into effect in July 2016, with five-year deadlines of July 2021 to achieve full implementation of many of the plan’s policies. The annual report for the activities of 2020 shows full implementation is on schedule for 2021. We extend sincere thanks to staff and partner agencies who contributed to the report, and for their ongoing support for this program. Cooperation from landowners and residents has been key to achieving this milestone and the compliance achieved across the region. Highlights of the report include:

· 100% of the Saugeen, Grey Sauble, Northern Bruce Peninsula Source Protection Plan (SPP) policies that address significant drinking water threats have been fully implemented. 97% are fully implemented and 3% require no further action.

· Municipalities with vulnerable areas where significant drinking water threat policies apply have processes in place to ensure that their day-to-day planning decisions conform with the SPP policies. 100% of these municipalities have amended or are in the process of amending their Official Plan to conform with the SPP policies. 17 have been fully implemented and 4 are currently in-progress.

· There are 313 on-site sewage systems (septic systems), in this source protection region that are in the most vulnerable areas around municipal wells and subject to the mandatory re-inspection program. 98% of these systems have been inspected in accordance with Ontario Building Code.

· There are 152 drinking water protection zone signs that have been installed in the source protection region. The signs are installed on roads near municipal wells to alert citizens and emergency services that their actions in these zones can have an impact on a municipal drinking water source.

· Over 148 risk management plans (RMPs) have been established in this source protection region. There are an estimated 175 total required across the region. Due to Covid-19 restrictions their completion has been delayed with plans for an extension to achieve completion by December 2022.

“As we enter our 5th year of implementing the Source Protection Plan in this Region, it is rewarding to see the level of co-operation we are witnessing by our member municipalities and the landowners in our source protection areas. The committee members have changed over the years but their commitment to the purpose of the program and reverence for the events in Walkerton in 2000 have continued to guide us to protect our water sources,” said Committee Chair Bill Twaddle.

“The Source Protection Committee is certain that the significant progress achieved to-date is a direct result of provincial funding dedicated to source water protection. The committee strongly advocates for continued ongoing funding to protect current and future generations from possible loss of life or health implications, like those that resulted from the Walkerton Tragedy. Without the ongoing provision of provincial financial resources maintained at the current capacity, the significant work that has taken place to develop and implement our local source protection plan over the past 13 years would be lost or greatly diminished,” Source Protection Committee for Saugeen, Grey Sauble, Northern Bruce Peninsula Source Protection Region.

Source protection plan policies address 21 activities (such as fuel or chemical storage; among others) that can pose a significant threat to municipal drinking water sources in certain circumstances (for example, in certain quantities and in the most vulnerable locations such as municipal wellhead protection areas).

Source Protection Committee Guiding Principles,

We value:

· Comprehensive, science-based research

· Recognizing and engaging all members of the community as valued stakeholders

· Informed decision-making through communication, education and responsiveness to community enquiries

· Being open and transparent

· Sustainable and long-term decision making

To find out more, please visit your local source protection region website at home.waterprotection.ca or phone Program Manager Carl Seider at 519-470-3000.

Thank you for all you do to keep our local municipal drinking water sources safe and clean.

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