Ministry of Environment and Energy Ontario observes World Water Day March22, 1994was designatedWorld WaterDayby • Draftcleanwaterregulations for the metal min- theUnited Nation'sGeneral Assemblyduringthe ing, industrialminerals,and metal castingsec- 1992 EarthSummit inRio deJaneiro,Brazil. World torswerereleased forpublic review inlate 1993. Water Dayisdedicated to theprotectionand preser- vationofourwaters. WATERAND SEWAGE TREATMENT Ontariobordersonfourofthe fiveGreatLakes, whichcontainthefifthlargestsourceoffreshwater Tooisurethatwaterandsewagetreatmentplants onearth. Onaverage,Carwdians use340litresof are performingatanadequate level oftreatinent, the wateraday,oneofthehighestconsumptionrates in mirustryprovides fundingto municipalities.Forty theworld, secondonlytoAmericans,who use426 percentofthis moneyisused forconservationand litres aday.Europeans useabout 165 litres aday. alternativeapproaches,with thebalance for mainte- WorldWater Dayreinforces the directionbeing nanceandexparisionofexistingsystems. takenby thegovernmentofOntario bystressingthe • BetweenApril 1990and March 1993, theOntario importanceofwisewatermanagementand the governmenthas invested $538.5 million in preservationofthisimportantresource. TheOntario grants to municipalities intheGreatLakes Basin MinistryofEnvironmentandEnergyis takingsub- forimprovingwaterand sev^ge treatmentsys- . stantialmeasures to protectourwaters.They tems. include: • InFebruary 1993,PremierRaeannounced the establishmentoftheOntarioCleanWata- Agency(OCWA) tohelp municipalities plan, MUNICIPAL-INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY FOR finance,build, upgrade and operate waterand ABATEMENT (MISA) sewagetreatmentfacilities across the province. TheMunicipal-Industrial StrategyforAbatement • InFebruary 1993,PremierRaeannounced a (MISA) programwasestablished in 1986tocontrol $258-milIioninvestmentbyjobsOntario for pollutioninOntario'slakes and rivers.Thegocil of upgradingand constructingnewsewage treat- this regulatoryprogramis toeliminatethedischarge ment and water treatment plants. ofpersistent toxic contaminants into the province's • InFebruary, 1994jobsOntario announced an waterwaysbynineindustrial sectors. additional investmentof$350 nullion inmore • Cleanwaterregulations were issued in 1993 for than 190waterand sewage projects over the two sectors: petroleumand pulp and paper. next twoyearscreating 13XXX)newjobs. ® Ontario REMEDIAL ACTION PLAN (RAP) PROGRAM • ThePollutionPreventionPledgeProgram(P*) is InOntario, 17Remedial ActionPlan (RAP)areas designed toencourage industry toadoptinto its havebeen identifiedby the InternationalJoint day-to-dayoperations theprinciplesofpollution Corrmnissionas 'areas ofconcern' requiringgovern- prevention.Through theP*, industry ischal- mentand communityactionto resolveexistingpol- lenged to cutitspersistent, toxic andbio-accu- lutionproblems. mulativepollutants inhalfby 1995 andby90per • Ontarionow invests more than$25 million centbytheyear2000. annuallyin improvements to municipalsewage treatmentplantsin designated RAPareas. BEACHES • Workunderwayincludes: - dieGreeningofCollingwood, aproject Bacterialcontaniinationinbeachwaters is themain involvingtheentirecommunity. Itsobjective reason forbeachclosures. Themain sources ofrecur- is to reducewaterand energyconsumption, ringcontamirwtionareurbanstormwaterrunoff, aswellashouseholdhazardous waste; combined seweroverflows,agriculturalwastes, - inJune 1993,theThunder BayRAP teamand sewage treatmentplantbypasses,industrialdis- public advisorycommitteeconducted acom- chargesandarumalandbirdwaste. munitycleanupofmorethan 125 kilometres • TheProvincial BeachesProgramoffers munici- ofshorelinethatattracted 2,500volunteers; palities and rural residents financial and techrri- - undertheSevernSound RAP, $6.7million in calassistancetodeanup existingpollutionprob- provincial supportwill lead to a $7 percent lems diatarecontributing to tiie postingofour reductionofphosphorusloadings fromalocal beaches.Theprogramhas twocomjwr^eits: the sewage treatmentplantthisyear. urbanBeachImprovementProgram(BEP)aiKl - majorprojects to rehabilitatehabitatand Qean Up Rural Beaches (CURB). restore swimmableconditionsinHamilton • TheCURB programprovidesup to $6million Harbour, assistedby morethan$6millionin annuallyto rural residents fortfungslikecattle provincialfimding. fencing,improvedhandlingofmilkhousewash- water,bettermanurestorageandimproved sep- ticsystems. SinceSeptember 1991,2,200projects POLLUTION PREVENTION havebeenapproved and $12.8 millionpaidout • TheurbanBeachesImprovema\tProgrampro- Pollutionprevention,theeliminationoff>ollutantsat thesource, is tiieministry's firstchoiceas a method videsmunicipalitieswitiifundsforcombined ofprotectingtheenvirorunent Pollutionprevention seweroverflowcontrol,urbanstormwaterpollu- canbeachievedthroughactivitieswhichpromoteor tioncontrol,sewagetreatmentplanteffluent requirechanges inthebasicbehavioralpatternsof enhancement, and constructionofbeachremedi- theindustrial,commercialand institutional sectors. alworks.Murucdpalitieshavereceivedover$100 • Ontario,incooperationwith the federalgovern- millionfromtheurbanBeachesImprovement mentand participatingindustriesandcommuni- Programsinceits inceptionin 1986. ties,has signed pollutionpreventionagreements for thevoluntaryreductionintheuse,genera- MONITORING AND SURVEILLANCE tionand releaseoftoxics.To date,agreements havebeenmadewifl\theautomotive industry, Ontarioundertakesacomprehensivesurveillance themetalfinishers, theautomotivepartsindus- and investigationsprogramoftheGreatLakes try, and theRegiormlMunicipalityofHamilton- whichassiststiiefederalgovernmentinmeetingits Wentworth. As well, theministryhas signedan requirements under theCanada-U.S.GreatLakes agreementwiththeCanadicinChemical WaterQualityAgreement. Producers' Association. — DRINKING WATER Be part ofthe solution prevent pollution: • takehousdioldhazardous wastes (paint, motor High qualitydrinkingwaterisessential for the oils, lead addbatteries, poolchemicals, healthand well-beingofthepeopleofOntario.The antifreeze) to Household Hazardous Waste MinistryofEnvironmentand Energyhasundertak- . defwts.inyourcommunity, orhave thempicked enseveralcomprehensiveprograms that include up onhazardouswastecollection days. Do not surveillcince,treatmentoptimizationand groundwa- fHJur themdovfndrainsorstormsewe«. terstudiesto ensurethatthispreciouscommodity • reducepesticideuse remains safeand protected. Forexample,the • discormecteaves trougjispouts thatareconnect- DrinkingWaterSurveillanceProgram (DWSP) ed to stormsewers analyseswaterfromabout 100watertreatment • and petowners: stoop-and-scoop plants to determine its safetyatalltimes. •^ . WorldWaterDayeventsarebeingcoordinated BiNATIONALPROGRAfflS byWaterCan,arujn-govemmentalorgar\ization whichfundsdeanwaterprojects indeveloping OnWorldWaterDay,itis especiallyimportantto countries.WaterCanalso fostersawarenessamong notethatwaterdoesnotrecognizeinternational Canadiai\softhepreciousnatureofourownwater boundaries.Ontario isan.activeparticipantina resQurcesandoftt\er\eed tpmanage themwisely. numberofbinatiorialactivitiesincludingtheLake OntarioToxicsManagementPlan,theLakeSuperior BinationalProgramand theNiagaraRiverToxics FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: ManagementPlan. MJni^ryofEnvlronihentand Energy PublicInformationCentre HEREARE SOMETHINGSYOU CAN DO TO HELP 135.StClairAvenueWest Toronto,OntarioM4V1P5 To conservewater: Telephone: (416)323-4321 • installwater-effidentshowerheads, faqcets,toi- 1-800565-4923 lets . WaterCan contact • fixleakingfaucets • savewaterinarainbarrelfor^ateringyourgar- LeaniuJohnston,(613)230-5182 den ^n PBS29416 Printed on recycled paper