November 2008 The Clean Water Act Roles and Responsibilities The Clean Water Act helps protect drinking water form 11 source protection regions and 8 at the source, as part of an overall commitment to standalone source protection areas. In a source safeguard human health and the environment. A protection region, one source protection key focus of the legislation is the preparation of authority will lead and co-ordinate the efforts of locally developed, terms of reference, science all the authorities within the region. The lead based assessment reports and source protection authority will also establish the source protection plans. committee for the region, and provide support to the committee during the development of the Source protection plans will be locally terms of reference, assessment report and the developed and delivered. Communities will use source protection plan. a science-based approach to protecting their water supplies, one that works for them. But how Source Protection Committee will municipalities, conservation authorities, Source protection committees will prepare the community groups and residents work together terms of reference, the assessment report and the towards the common goal of safe water? source protection plan. There will be strong municipal representation on the committee What does the Clean Water Act mean for your which will also include conservation authorities, community? Source protection planning will farmers, small businesses and a range of other build on the work many municipalities are stakeholders within the watershed. Through the already doing to protect drinking water. Source source protection committee, municipalities will protection authorities will be established to work to identify, assess and address risks to coordinate source protection across multiple drinking water within their municipal wellhead municipalities within the larger watershed. That and intake protection areas. Stakeholders such as body will then help create a source protection local property owners could also participate committee which will represent the broad through working groups, supporting and interests across the watershed. consulting on the work of the source protection committee. Source Protection Authority Generally, the source protection authority Municipalities follows the same structure as the conservation Municipalities will have a strong role in authority boards, which are made up of members developing and implementing source protection appointed by municipal councils. The plans in all areas under municipal jurisdiction. geographic area of each authority covers the Municipalities are already responsible for the watershed. These areas are grouped together to 1 PIBS 5969e02 delivery of municipal drinking water and land More local information on drinking water source use planning and the proposed source protection protection can be found at: process will build on this work. http://www.conservation- Municipalities will develop and implement ontario.on.ca/source_protection/otherswpregionsin policies to reduce risks posed by activities dex.htm located in areas under their jurisdiction. This could include requiring individual property This publication is provided for owners to take action on significant drinking water threats located within their wellhead and information purposes only. For intake protection areas. compliance purposes reference should always be made to the Act or related Conservation Authorities regulations. Conservation authorities, with their watershed- based perspective, will help source protection committees develop source protection plans by gathering and sharing information, facilitating cooperation and coordination among communities and stakeholders, and providing technical support and advice to the source protection committees. Property owners, industry, businesses, farmers, community groups and the public It is important that people become involved in local source protection planning and help to find practical, workable solutions. Engaging the local community in source protection planning will build partnerships to protect common interests. Anyone engaged in an activity that poses a threat or may be affected by the source protection plan will be encouraged to become involved early on, and could be involved through representation on the source protection committees or working groups. Broader public consultation across the watershed at three key stages — during the preparation of the terms of reference, the assessment report and the source protection plan — will provide an opportunity for everyone to provide their input. Further information on the Clean Water Act and the regulations can be found on the Ministry of the Environment website at: www.ontario.ca/cleanwater 2