FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Owen Sound – After eight years of hard work and public consultation, the Source Protection Committee is pleased to announce the Source Protection Plan for the Saugeen, Grey Sauble, Northern Bruce Peninsula Source Protection Region has been approved by the Hon. Glen Murray, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. The Plan policies will become effective July 1, 2016. The Assessment Reports for the three Source Protection Areas – Saugeen Valley, Grey Sauble and Northern Bruce Peninsula were approved by the Director on October 15, 2015.

“The Committee is confident that the policies written will protect local sources of drinking water now and in the future. We are so proud to have received approval of our Plan so we can move forward with the implementation phase of our water protection journey,” stated Source Protection Committee Chair Mike Traynor.

The 15-member Source Protection Committee was formed in 2007 and has celebrated many accomplishments over the last eight years. The Committee’s mission statement from the start has been: “Providing leadership to engage the entire community in developing comprehensive, responsible solutions to protect our water resources.” The Source Protection Plan was written using science-based technical work, engaging relevant sectors in the Region and employing a consensus-based approach. The mission statement and these guiding principles have kept the Committee focused on its goal to protect drinking water sources.

This Plan, effective July 1, 2016, sets out policies that use a variety of approaches including education and outreach, the development of risk management plans, prohibition, land use planning, and monitoring. These policies will help to keep contaminants out of our aquifers, rivers and lakes that are sources of municipal drinking water.

In this Region, stewardship has been an important component in the process, with over one million dollars in Ontario Drinking Water Stewardship Program grants provided to eligible landowners. Landowners have shown a clear interest in protecting water sources through their stewardship actions.

The source protection planning process is directed and funded by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change in conjunction with municipalities. A local Drinking Water Source Protection office has provided additional technical, communications and administrative support for the source protection planning process.

For more information please visit our website: www.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.
• Technical work and policies related to events-based areas at Great Lakes intakes and water quantity threats will be submitted to the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change at a later date.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Carl Seider, Project Manager, c.seider@waterprotection.ca or 519-470-3000 x102
Mike Traynor, Chair, mail@waterprotection.ca 519-470-3000 x 109