| What is Source Water Protection? |
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Source Water Protection prevents drinking water sources from contamination and overuse. The goal is to ensure we have enough clean drinking water for generations to come. Much of the Clean Water Act initiatives are based on recommendations from Commissioner Dennis O'Connor's Report of the Walkerton Inquiry.  Justice O’Connor concluded that source protection is one of the most effective and efficient means of protecting the safety of Ontario's drinking water. He also made 22 recommendations related to source water protection planning, including the need to develop legislation that would require source protection plans to be developed and implemented locally for every watershed in Ontario. For more information on the Walkerton Inquiry or to review the Ontario Ministry of the Environment’s progress on these recommendations visit the following links. Status of Part One recommendations of the O'Connor Inquiry Status of Part Two recommendations of the O'Connor Inquiry Other barriers involved in the multi-barrier approach are up-to-date water treatment systems, reliable distribution systems, professional training for water managers and careful and regular testing of our water supplies. Source water protection also protects against overuse by determining how much water is available compared to how much is needed. |
