Module 17 – Practical Ways to Protect Water Quality

This module is a follow-up to the active learning program for working groups. The activities here are suitable for schools, places of worship, community groups, etc.

This module may also be helpful review if you have completed the original 16 modules of the Active Learning Program. We hope you find it helpful.

Take the drinking water source protection quiz. (15 questions)

You may also want to take the exam (40 questions).

For the quiz or the test simply click on the appropriate tab in the navigation menu bar at the top of the page.

Learning Expectations

By the end of this Module you will have learned:

The two main sources of drinking water.
The difference between groundwater and surface water.
The difference between pathogens and chemicals.
Why denser liquids are chemical contaminants of concern.
Some of the main activities that could pose a threat to drinking water sources.
How to evaluate the effectiveness of current initiatives intended to protect drinking water sources.
Where wellhead protection area zones are located in your community.
How to develop your own wellhead protection areas based on water flow; soil types; etc.

Click on activity to open the content.

Activity – Stand on the Line

Where do we stand on water at the beginning of the class? (Agree, Disagree, Don’t Know/In the Middle). Visit protectwater.ca for activity from active learning program for working groups.

What keeps your water clean?

What doesn’t keep your water clean?

Activity – Cola Battle

Get ready to put a cola and a diet cola into a tank or pail of water.
Before you do this, hypothesize what you think will happen and why.
Do the experiment.
What do you observe?
What do you conclude?
How does this relate to the lists of threats?

Expectation – What is expected for you to learn today? (Discuss).

Activity – Stand on the Line

Where do we stand on water at the beginning of the class? (Agree, Disagree, Don’t Know/In the Middle). Visit protectwater.ca for activity from active
learning program for working groups.

What keeps your water clean?

What doesn’t keep your water clean?

Activity – Cola Battle

Checks for Understanding: Groundwater vs. Surface Water?

Review source protection plans for Maitland Valley and Ausable Bayfield source protection areas at sourcewaterinfo.on.ca.

What are the proposed solutions?

Do you think the solutions will be effective?

What solutions are missing?

Questions:

From where does drinking water come? (Use audience response system or playing cards)

How can water become contaminated?

What makes one water source more vulnerable than another?

Look at maps of vulnerable areas. What do you know about the area around your municipal well or intake?

What are the four different kinds of vulnerable areas?

Which areas are most important?

Why?

Activity – Index Cards – Arrange in order of importance

Proximity
Vulnerability
Soil Types
Pathways

Visit Ontario.ca or sourcewaterinfo.on.ca and review the Province of Ontario’s list of 22 drinking water threat activities.

Prescribed drinking water threats

1.1 (1) The following activities are prescribed as drinking water threats for
the purpose of the definition of “drinking water threat” in subsection 2 (1) of
the Act:

The establishment, operation or maintenance of a waste disposal site within
the meaning of Part V of the Environmental Protection Act.
The establishment, operation or maintenance of a system that collects,
stores, transmits, treats or disposes of sewage.
The application of agricultural source material to land.
The storage of agricultural source material.
The management of agricultural source material.
The application of non-agricultural source material to land.
The handling and storage of non-agricultural source material.
The application of commercial fertilizer to land.
The handling and storage of commercial fertilizer.
The application of pesticide to land.
The handling and storage of pesticide.
The application of road salt.
The handling and storage of road salt.
The storage of snow.
The handling and storage of fuel.
The handling and storage of a dense non-aqueous phase liquid.
The handling and storage of an organic solvent.
The management of runoff that contains chemicals used in the de-icing of
aircraft.
An activity that takes water from an aquifer or a surface water body without
returning the water taken to the same aquifer or surface water body.
An activity that reduces the recharge of an aquifer.
The use of land as livestock grazing or pasturing land, an outdoor
confinement area or a farm-animal yard. O. Reg. 385/08, s. 3.
Liquid hydrocarbon pipeline

What are examples of activities that pose threats to drinking water sources?
Septic systems; On-site sewage
Fuel oil (e.g., home heating oil)
Liquid fuel (e.g., large commercial fuel storage)
Chemicals (toxic chemicals such as organic solvents and dense nonaqueous phase liquids or DNAPLs)
Commercial fertilizer
Pesticides
Nutrients (manure, bio-solids, grazing)
Waste disposal sites (including storage of hazardous waste)
Sewage works (sewage treatment plants, municipal sewers)
Road salt and snow storage

Others: Visit list of 22 provincially prescribed drinking threats at ontario.ca.

Find examples at: Threat examples

Link: Province of Ontario Tables of Circumstances

Activity:

Group threats into chemicals and pathogens

Activity – small group – share with larger group

Rank the following programs in order of which protects water quality more:
Inspecting septic systems
Stopping spreading of manure within 100 metres of municipal well.
Inspecting home heating oil.
Providing voluntary stewardship funds to landowners
Restricting land use activities
Taking household hazardous waste to proper depots or locations.

Review assessment reports at sourcewaterinfo.on.ca.

Consult maps of wellhead protection areas.

What’s happening in your area? Where are the zones? What land uses are in the zones?

What are best management practices (BMPs)? Provide examples from your area.

Water Bingo – Answering questions about water in our lives

Complete the Water-Bingo-Activities activity with other members of your class or group.

Sample squares:

My water comes from a well on my property
My water comes from a municipal well
My water comes from surface water
I swim at a beach
I drink tap water
I drink bottled water
I know a synonym for pathogen is …
I watch Game of Thrones
I know what surface water is. It is …
I know what groundwater is. It is …
I know what a DNAPL is. It is …
I live on a farm
I live in a town or village.
My parent or guardian has a business
I properly dispose of hazardous waste
I have the same name or middle name as you
I love nature walks
I have natural gas at home
I have home heating oil at h ome.
I have a septic system
I am on municipal/sanitary sewer
I listen to Justin Timberlake

Sample questions for your discussion (agree; disagree; don’t know:

Bottled water is safer than tap water (?)

Well water is a better source of raw water than surface water

You know where your hazardous waste depot is (Where?)

Everyone in Community X disposes of batteries correctly

If there were a heavy flood in my basement tomorrow nothing bad would get into the municipal water

I know what density is I know what a dense non-aqueous phase liquid is

Our municipality, and the conservation authority, are doing enough to protect our water from DNAPLs

My water comes from my own well

Justin Bieber is a musical genius

Septic systems should be inspected

People who need to replace their septic systems should be given money to replace them

People who need to replace their septic systems should be told to replace them

There is enough money out there to help me protect water on my property

Activity – Protecting Water

List voluntary and mandatory programs that protect water

What are land uses and activities around your local well? List and share.

What’s in your basement?

Septics are being replaced – are septics the problem?

Is that the solution?

What areas are protected by source protection?

What areas need protection through other programs?

Review source protection plan policies. How are they based in science?

Activity: What can you do to protect drinking water sources? Pair-share. Group share.

How are young people improving water quality?

How are people in your schoool or group helping to protect water?

Are you doing enough?

If not, why not?

What can you do more?

What are the most effective ways to improve water quality?

Review (Visit sourcewaterinfo.on.ca and protectwater.ca for help to answer):

Difference between point and non-point source pollution

Ways to reduce source pollution at business, farm, home, municipality

Analyzed actual E. coli data from wells and beaches

Drinking Water Source Protection:

Why was the Ontario Clean Water Act, 2006 needed?

Who is the Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Drinking Water Source Protection Committee?

What are the Drinking Water Source Protection Committee and my local municipality doing to protect local sources of drinking water?

What is threats assessment?

What are source protection plans?

(Hand out shuffle cards to involve many students in discussion)

Activity – Discussion – What could pollute your water?

What things are likely to contaminate your own well?

What you do on your property at home adn work?

What your neighbour does on their property?

What someone does down the street?

What could stop your water from being polluted?

Which is worse – pathogen or chemical? Why?

Which is worse – light non-aqueous phase liquid or dense?

Activity – Pair Discussion and Share With Group

‘Dilution is the Solution to Pollution.’ Argue why it is … Argue why it is not.

Activity – Pair or Small Group Discussion

What things are being done right now to protect water? (Lake water, River Water, Drinking Water, Private Wells).

What programs are voluntary?

What programs are mandatory?

Activity – Look at data on water quality (Public health / Health Unit).

Discussion – Which is better raw water quality source – groundwater or surface water? Why? (Take one position; then take the other). Pair-share and group-share.

What could contaminate water (Home heating oil, septics, runoff from institutional, commercial, agricultural, residential, institutional and other sources).

What kind of home heating source do you have?

How do you prevent an oil tank from getting damaged?.

Who has wells at home? (How are those protected?).

Is drinking water source protection about protecting private wells or municipal wells? Discuss.

Activities

Jigsaw – Small Groups – Each member takes a different part of the source protection plan becomes an ‘expert’ on it and then shares with the group.

Review the Groundwater Model

View Watershed Connections CD

Review brochure showing the different laws that protect water

Look at Huron County Clean Water Project brochure

Look at industry Best Management Practices BMP fact sheet

Look at Blue Flag website

Look at aerial photography

Activity – Look at map showing Community X well location

Where is the well located? (Where do you live? Where is your school?).

What is the soil like around the well?

How would you protect the water in the well?

Draw an area around the well where contamination could affect the well most – why did you draw it that way?

Look at maps drawn by the experts

How are they like yours?

How are they unlike yours?

Has the committee chosen the right area? Should it be more? Should it be less?

Now that you have drawn the lines – what should be done about the potential for contamination there?

What activities are there?

Septics – Money for landowners, or rules?

What kinds of activities are closest to the wells? (Homes? Businesses? Farms?)

Activity – Look at what is being done to protect water around the well.

Is it enough?

Task – List five initiatives that are protecting water right now

Which efforts have made water cleaner already?

Which efforts have not made water cleaner?

Which efforts could make water cleaner in the future?

If you were the government and you wanted to protect drinking water – how would you do it?

What are the barriers of protection for drinking water? (Three Ts … treatment; testing; training and monitoring and distribution … and protection at the source – the first barrier of protection).

What is used to treat your drinking water?

What things do treatment not address?

Activity – Personal writing in workbook

What are my strategies to protect water?

Activity – Writing on index cards: What are today’s environmental issues?

As a group try to rank in order by moving index cards around

Compare the issues students found important and the ones community found 20 years ago

How similar? How different?

Stand on the Line – Where do we stand on water at the end of the class?

Have your opinions changed?

Closure – Summarize your key learnings in your own words

Discussion:

What is the role of youth in protecting water?

Who uses social media?

How can you be involved? What can you do?

What’s best way to involve you in making the change? (Technical, in person, as part of adult group, youth-only group, social media site such as Facebook?

Some app? Forum/Discussion Board? How?).

What’s in your basement? What’s around your well?

What programs are protecting your water?

What programs are not protecting your water?

The Module in a Nutshell:

What does it mean to evaluate effectiveness of programs to protect water quality?
What do you want to achieve by the end of this class?

Check for understanding – Water Quizzes

Link to Water quiz

Where do I stand on water? (Stand on the Line)

Look at Watershed Report Cards – What do they tell us about water quality in our area?

What can contaminate water?

What indicators tell us there is pollution?

Kinds of pollution – Group 22 threats into chemicals and pathogens

Discussion – Dilution is the solution to pollution – Yes or No?

Density – DNAPLs vs LNAPLs

What’s in your basement?

Water Bingo – Your classmates and water quality

Small groups – Consult publications, list programs that are protecting water – Mandatory and voluntary

Where is your municipal well?

How would you protect it?

Take a look at aerial shot of well – activities, soil, etc.

Draw areas around well that you would protect

Look at actual areas – land uses; shape of zones

Index cards – Rank environmental issues in the area in order

Index cards – Rank different programs for protecting water

Writing – What are my strategies to protect water?

Stand on the Line II – Revisit positions – Did your opinions change?

Your role – How to engage you as young people or community group members.

Closure – Key understandings in your own words

Extension – Homework – Write a letter to a government or agency that helps keep water clean

Review source protection videos. Ask questions of your leader or teacher.

Questions for You:

What do you want to achieve by the end of this class?
What do you know about your drinking water sources?
What do you need to know?
Why does drinking water need protection?
Why do drinking water sources need protection?
What is expected for you to learn today?
Assessment and Evaluation

How much do you know about protecting local drinking water sources?

Take this short quiz to test your knowledge: Water Quiz

Checks for understanding

Where is your municipal well?
What kind of soil is nearby?
What are pathways?
How can we reduce pathways?

Activity – Review:

Difference between point and non-point source pollution

Ways to reduce source pollution at business, farm, home

Types of E. coli (1) as threat and 2) indicator)

Escherichia coli or E. coli refers to a large group of bacteria commonly found in human and animal intestines.

Some strains, such as E. coli O157: H7 can lead to sickness such as stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting. Infection with this strain of E. coli can cause kidney failure and can sometimes be fatal.

Groundwater vs. Surface Water

Where do I stand on water? (Stand on the Line)

Where do we stand on water at the beginning of the class?
(Agree, Disagree, Don’t Know/In the Middle).

Sample questions for discussion:

Bottled water is safer than tap water
Well water is a better source of raw water than surface water
You know where your hazardous waste depot is (Where?)
Everyone in Community X disposes of batteries correctly
If there were a heavy flood in my basement tomorrow nothing bad would get into the municipal water
I know what density is I know what a dense non-aqueous phase liquid is
Our municipality, and the conservation authority, are doing enough to protect our water from DNAPLs
My water comes from my own well
Justin Bieber is a musical genius
Septic systems should be inspected
People who need to replace their septic systems should be given money to replace them
People who need to replace their septic systems should be told to replace them
There is enough money out there to help me protect water on my property
What we know about water – Source Protection Plans and Watershed Report Cards
Look at Watershed Report Cards – What do they tell us about water quality in our
area? Look at source protection plans for your area
Look at Watershed Report Cards for your area
What are the issues?
What are the proposed solutions?
Do you think the solutions will be effective?
What solutions are missing?
What’s happening in your area?
How many trees are being planted in Community X?

Water Bingo – Your classmates and water quality Water Bingo – Answering
questions about water in our lives

Sample squares:
My water comes from a well on my property
My water comes from a municipal well
My water comes from surface water
I swim at a beach
I drink tap water
I drink bottled water
I know a synonym for pathogen
I watch Glee
I know what surface water is. It is …
I know what groundwater is. It is …
I know what a DNAPL is. It is …
I live on a farm
My parent or guardian has a business
I properly dispose of hazardous waste
I have the same name or middle name as you
I love nature walks
I have natural gas at home
I have home heating oil
I have a septic system
I am on municipal/sanitary sewer
I listen to Drake
I listen to Ed Sheeran
I listen to Clint Black

Look at data on water quality
What we know about pollution – Indicators

What can contaminate water?

List what could contaminate water (Home heating oil, septic system sewage, runoff from institutional, commercial, agricultural, residential, institutional
and other sources).

What’s in your basement?

How is it stored?

Can it be stored better?

What indicators tell us there is pollution? Copper, nitrate, etc.

Kinds of pollution – Group 22 threats into chemicals and pathogens

Look at the province’s list of 22 drinking water threats

Are these enough?

What’s missing?

Group threats into ‘chemicals’ and ‘pathogens’

Discussion – Dilution is the solution to pollution

What does that mean?
How is it true?
How is it not true?

What could pollute your water?
What is most likely to contaminate your own well?
What you do on your property?
What your neighbour does on their property? What someone does down the street?
What could stop your water from being polluted?
Which is worse – pathogen or chemical? Why?
Pair Discussion and Share With Group – Dilution is the Solution to Pollution.
Argue why it is … Argue why it is not.
Density – DNAPLs vs LNAPLs Which is worse – light non-aqueous phase liquid or dense?

Discussion – Which is better raw water quality source – groundwater or surface
water? Why?

What’s in your basement?
What we know about programs to protect water
Who has wells at home?
How are those protected?.
What kind of home heating source do you have?
How do you prevent an oil tank from getting damaged?).
Small groups – Consult publications, list programs that are protecting water – Mandatory and voluntary Look at brochure showing the different laws that protect water

Look at Huron County Clean Water Project brochure

List voluntary and mandatory programs that protect water

Pair or Small Group Discussion – What things are being done right now to protect water? (Lake water, River Water, Drinking Water, Private Wells).

What programs are voluntary?
What programs are mandatory?

List five initiatives that are protecting water right now

Which efforts have made water cleaner already?
Which efforts have not made water cleaner?
Which efforts could make water cleaner in the future?

Index cards – Rank different programs for protecting water Small group – share with larger group

Rank the following programs in order of which protects water quality more:
Inspecting septic systems
Inspecting home heating oil
Providing voluntary stewardship funds to landowners
Taking household hazardous waste to appropriate facilities
Restricting land use activities

Writing – What are my strategies to protect water? Personal writing in workbook provided
What are my strategies to protect water?
What we think about the issues

Index cards – Rank environmental issues in the area in order Index Cards –
Arrange in order of importance
Water Quality
Water Quantity
Soil Health

Writing on index cards:
What are today’s environmental issues?
As a group try to rank in order by moving index cards around
Any missing from list?
Compare the issues students found important and the ones community found
Consult Conservation Strategy

What we know about our drinking water wells – and how to protect

Where is your well in Community X? Look at map showing Community X well
location
Where is the well located?
Where do you live?
Where is your school?
What is the soil like around the well?
How would you protect the water in the well?
Take a look at aerial shot of well in Community X – activities, soil, etc. What is the biggest land uses around the Community X well?
What kinds of activities are closest to the wells? (Homes? Farms? Businesses?
Municipalities?)
Draw areas around well that you would protect Draw an area around the well where
contamination could affect the well most – Why did you draw it that way?
Look at actual areas – compare with your areas Look at maps drawn by the experts
How are they like yours?
How are they unlike yours?
Has the committee chosen the right area? Should it be more?
Should it be less?
How would you protect it? Now that you have drawn the lines – what should be done about the potential for contamination there?
Some septic systems are being replaced – are septics the problem?
What areas are protected?
What areas aren’t protected?
Are plans in 2012 too far off?
Is it science-based?
What are the limits of science-based?
Septics – Money for landowners, or rules?
What is drinking water source protection?
(Plusses, minuses) Drinking Water Source Protection:
Why was the Clean Water Act, 2006 created?
Who is the Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Drinking Water Source Protection Committee?
What is the drinking water source protection project doing?
What is threats assessment?
What are source protection plans?

Closure – Key Understandings

Stand on the Line II – Revisit positions – Did your opinions change?

Stand on the Line – Where do we stand on water at the end of the class?
(Question to students: Have your opinions changed?).
Your role – How to engage you as young people How are young people improving water quality?
Are they doing enough?
If not, why not?
What are the most effective ways to improve water quality?
What is the role of youth in protecting water?
Who uses social media?
How can you be involved? What can you do?
What’s best way to involve you in making the change?
(Technical, in person, as part of adult group, youth-only group, social media site such as Wiki or Facebook? Some app? Forum/Discussion Board?
How?).

Closure – Key understandings in your own words

Extension – Homework – Letter to MPP, MP, government, or agency

Extension – Homework – Write a letter to a government or agency that helps keep water clean

Field learning – Extension – Write a letter to an MP; MPP; Department; Ministry; Council; or local agency

Dear _,
My name is: _____________
I think _______ is an issue for water quality.
I think _______ has helped to improve water quality.
I think ________ will improve water quality by _____.
I think __________ is not doing enough to improve water quality.
I think one more thing that could be done to protect my water is:

Thank you.
Student Name