Module 8 – Programs to protect drinking water

Existing programs that help to protect water and municipal sources of municipal drinking water

Module 8 – Existing Programs to Protect Drinking Water Sources

“A number of factors have contributed to the success of Oxford County’s groundwater protection plan, including: a high level of commitment on the part of county and municipal councils; good support from the Ontario Ministry of the Environment for the Phase II study and number of pilot projects; a commitment to embedding groundwater protection in policy that balances this concern with development needs; good technical support from consultants and in-house Geographical Information System staff; a highly inclusive process with good community response; data sharing (e.g., through the online Groundwater Navigator and Map Your Farm); development of plans to target specific issues, such as the nitrate reduction strategy, the farm-level nutrient management strategy (supported by a high level of commitment on the part of producers), and the biosolids management plan.”
– From Case Study, County of Oxford, The Management
of Water, Environment Canada website, 2004

Learning Expectations

By the end of this session you should be able to:

Understand some of the roles and programs of Government of Canada, Province of Ontario, counties of Huron, Perth, Lambton, Bruce, Middlesex and Wellington, local municipalities, Maitland Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA), and Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA)
Learn best management practices (BMPs) relevant to the Maitland Valley and Ausable Bayfield source protection areas
Provide input into program directions best suited to protecting municipal drinking water sources locally
Identify potential program gaps
Recommend additional programs which may add additional barriers of protection for our drinking water sources

Chapter 8 of the Maitland Valley and Ausable Bayfield Assessment Reports is called Key Outcomes.

Source Protection Plan Chapter 1 is called Background.

Chapter 1 of the Maitland Valley and Ausable Bayfield Assessment Reports is called Introduction.

Section One – Module Content

Module Outline, Learning Expectations, Learning Activities

Unit 1 – A Review of the State of the Watersheds and Best Practices in the Study Area
What are we doing to protect water sources?
Whose job is it to protect our sources of water?
What are we doing about water quality and water quantity?

Unit 2 – Review of Existing Programs
What federal programs are in place?
What provincial programs are in place?
What county programs are in place?
What municipal programs are in place?
What other programs are in place (private sector, etc.)?

Unit 3 – Classifying Existing Programs, Assessing Effectiveness, Recommending Additions
Classify the kinds of programs which exist in Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley
Drinking Water Source Protection Region
Assess the effectiveness of some of the programs
Recommend additions to existing programs to aid drinking water source
protection and broader watershed-wide source water protection

Unit 4 – What program gaps exist?
What gaps exist in threat identification?
What gaps exist in risk assessment?
What gaps exist in risk management?
What gaps exist in issue mitigation?
What gaps exist in water quantity?
What gaps exist in water quality?
What other gaps exist?

Unit 5 – Wrapping It Up

Activity 1 – Facilitated Group Dialogue

Share, from the previous module’s Field Learning Assignment, what you listed – in general terms, not identifying individuals – as concerns or possible future issues in the Maitland Valley and Ausable Bayfield source protection areas (watersheds).

Activity 2 – Personal Reflection – Title: My experience with water concerns

Looking back over the past five years, circle whether you have had any of the following things happen in your watershed:

Boil-water advisory Yes No
Beach posting because of high bacteria count Yes No
Chlorine Spill Yes No
Spill Yes No
Adverse well test Yes No
Pesticide use Yes No
Sewage bypass from a municipal wastewater plant Yes No

Unit 1 – A Review of the State of the Watershed and Best Practices in the Watershed

Activity 3 – Small Group Activity – Title: What are we doing to protect water
sources?

List some of the ways drinking water quality is being protected.

Protection of Drinking Water Sources

Globally

Nationally

Provincially

Watershed

County

Municipal

Activity 4 – Small Group Activity – Title: Where does the buck stop?

Discuss who is most responsible for protecting drinking water sources for you, your family, your neighbours and future generations?

World Health Organization?
Government of Canada?
Province of Ontario?
Conservation authority?
Industrial, commercial or manufacturing associations; property owner
associations; general farm organizations or commodity groups; other?
Health unit?
County?
Municipality?
You?
Your neighbour?
Where does their responsibility start – and where does it end?

Personal Activity – Mind Map

Create a ‘Mind Map’ picture that shows your community and the ways these different players protect water – or, write down the names of the different
governments and agencies on recipe cards and arrange in order of responsibility.

Share with the larger group.

How was your ranking similar to the rest of the group’s?

How was it different?

Activity 5 – Small Group Activity – Title: Who have we missed?

Municipalities are to be involved in implementing the source protection plans, in part through updates to their municipal official plans and zoning bylaws.

They are implementing bodies. What are some other implementing bodies for source protection?

Write down some of the agencies, community organizations or groups that have a role to play in drinking water source protection but which have not yet been mentioned.

Contributors to Protection of Our Drinking Water Sources

Name of Organization, Department, Ministry, Agency, etc.

Role in Source Protection Programs

Activity 6 – Lecture – Title: Roles, Policies, Impacts

What roles do the following departments have in protection of drinking water sources?

Government Roles, Policies and Local Impacts

Government of Canada

Department

Legislation, Policy

Application

Program

Province of Ontario

Department

Legislation, Policy

Application

Program

Counties of Bruce, Huron, Lambton, Middlesex, Perth and Wellington

Department

Legislation, Policy

Application

Program

Municipalities

Department

Legislation, Policy

Application

Program

Other (Private sector; conservation authorities; public health; non-governmental organizations, etc.)

Organization

Legislation, Policy

Application

Program

Unit 2 – Review of Existing Programs

Activity 7 – Group Dialogue – Title: What programs are in place?

Some current programs to protect our drinking water sources can be divided into two main categories.

One is ‘end-of-pipe’ – programs that relate to water that has traveled from source to destination:

End-of-Pipe Existing Programs

Program

Activity

Lead contact

The other is ‘early barrier’ – related to water before it reaches the tap:

Early-Barrier Existing Programs

Program

Activity

Lead contact

Activity 8 – Group Activity – Title: Name that BMP

Trivia Quiz Show

BMP Game Show

Best Management Practices

Name that Best Management Practice (BMP)

Water Quantity

Water Quality Programs

H2O Legislation

Responsibilities

100

Minimizing the use of herbicides and pesticides is called what?

100

Consider the following: “In 1999, unmetered households which pay a flat rate for water used 50 per cent more water than unmetered households, which pay for water by volume used.”*

What prevents us from reducing our water use

100

What is the federal government’s role in water quality issues and what programs are in place?

100

What pieces of federal legislation deal with water issues?

100

What is the responsibility of the federal government in protection of water at its sources?

200

The practice of applying fertilizers and manure only in amounts that can be taken up by the crop is called what?

200

What do we know about water quantity in this planning region? (Please consult water budgets, assessment reports, and source protection plans at
sourcewaterinfo.on.ca

200

What is the provincial government’s role in water quality issues and what provincial programs are in place? (Please consult brochure)

200

What pieces of provincial legislation deal with water issues?

200

What is the responsibility of the provincial government in drinking water source protection?

300

Where buffers are around streams or lakes, they are called what?

300

Are water conservation efforts required in this watershed? Why?

300

What is the county government’s role in water quality issues and what county programs are in place?

300

What pieces of county legislation deal with water issues?

300

What is the responsibility of the county in broader watershed-wide source water protection?

In drinking water source protection planning?

400

Practices such as strip-cropping, shelterbelts and use of cover crops are effective for controlling what?

400

What water conservation programs exist in Canada and in Ontario?

400

What is the municipal government’s role in water quality issues?

400

What municipal bylaws or policies deal with water issues?

400

What is the responsibility of the municipal government in source water protection and drinking water source protection planning?

500

List five (5) industrial or commercial best management practices. (Please consult fact sheet at sourcewaterinfo.on.ca).

500

What water conservation programs exist in the planning region?

500

What other programs are in place relating to water quality issues?

500

In what piece of legislation is municipal wellheads mentioned?

500

What other organizations should play a strong role in drinking water source protection?

Name that BMP.

100) ____________________________________________________

200) ____________________________________________________

300) ____________________________________________________

400) ____________________________________________________

500) ____________________________________________________

Water Quantity

100) ____________________________________________________

200) ____________________________________________________

300) ____________________________________________________

400) ____________________________________________________

500) ____________________________________________________

Water-Related Legislation

100) ____________________________________________________

200) ____________________________________________________

300) ____________________________________________________

400) ____________________________________________________

500) ____________________________________________________

Other: ___________________________________________________

100) ____________________________________________________

200) ____________________________________________________

300) ____________________________________________________

400) ____________________________________________________

500) ____________________________________________________

Responsibilities

100) ____________________________________________________

200) ____________________________________________________

300) ____________________________________________________

400) ____________________________________________________

500) ____________________________________________________

Unit 3 – Classifying Existing Programs, Assessing Effectiveness, Recommending Additions

Activity 9 – Facilitated Group Dialogue – Title: Linking Programs and Results

When done our ‘BMP Game Show’ we can apply the following to the results of our activity:

When reviewing existing programs we can look at two main areas:

1) Water Quantity

2) Water Quality

Let’s look now specifically at water quantity:

Provide a local example of a municipality with water rates tied to consumption:
Has this been a recent change?
If so, has there been an effect on consumption?

Municipal efforts to control water consumption include:

Summer Lawn Watering Restrictions
Even-Odd watering programs
Water conservation education programs
Bylaw
Plumbing legal Requirements
Low-Flow Showerhead Giveaways
Low-Water Response Teams

Visit abca.ca and mvca.on.ca. What water conservation measures to they recommend?

Is there a low water advisory in effect in your watershed?

Which of these initiatives are practiced in your municipality?
Which of these initiatives need to be introduced?

Activity 10 – Small Group Activity – Title: My Report Card for Existing Programs

Barriers and Benefits

Many local agricultural producers are implementing best management practices such as fencing to exclude livestock from streams.

The benefits I find …

The barriers that prevent them from being as effective as they could be …

We have learned about the roles different levels of governments and organizations have and together we have compiled a list of some of the programs which exist in our source protection region.

We now look to you to provide some input on the potential value you see in programs which currently exist to protect drinking water sources.

As a larger group, as a smaller group, or as individuals, rate the value of programs in the chart below. A very low score for a program with little value would be 0 – a high score for a valuable program would be a ‘7,’ and many programs would be rated somewhere in between.

If you have no opinion or knowledge about the program then do not circle any of the numbers.

If you require more information on a program or initiative then tick off the far right column.

Proceed according to your facilitator’s instructions (for example, submit survey to facilitator or have it taken up as a group or have small groups work on certain sections).

a) List benefits of the program to you.

b) List the barriers of the program – e.g., what things might discourage you or others from using this program?

c) Rate the program based on the following criteria:

Relevance

Likelihood to effect meaningful change

Practicality (Cost-benefit analysis – high benefit, reasonable cost)

Urgency

Other

Survey of Value You See at the Present Time in Existing Programs

(Circle the score you would give it – ‘0’ is lowest score, ‘7’ is highest)

Program

Barriers

Benefits

Based on Criteria Such as Relevance, Impact, Practicality, Urgency

More information needed (check here if you need more info on this project)

Lake Huron Stewardship Manual

Local water conferences (e.g., ‘It All Ends Up in the Lake,’ ‘Everybody Lives Downstream,’ ‘The Coast is Clear,’ etc.

Programs in Identified Areas

Trick’s Creek Stewardship

Zurich Water Quality Enhancement Project

St. Joseph’s Ravine Project

Sinkhole Investigation Study in Huron East, West Perth

Risk Management

Huron County Clean Water Project

Wellhead Decommissioning

Nutrient Management Plans

Environmental Farm Plans

Clean Water Diversion (Berms, etc.)

Livestock Exclusionary Fencing

Fragile Land Retirement (Planting trees and shrubs on erosion-prone land)

Private Wellhead Protection (Caps and sealing, etc.)

Erosion control measures (Grassed waterways, etc.

Septic system re-inspections

Spills response plan

Pollution prevention plan

Metal storage lockers

Staff training

How important is a comprehensive abandoned domestic well decommissioning program? (Please circle from ‘0’ for least important to ‘7’ for most important).

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Additional protection around sinkholes in the area?

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

4 a) A comprehensive re-inspection program for septic systems?

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

4 b) Discuss the septic inspection system in Huron-Kinloss. What was gained from that initiative? Why was it binational-award-winning?

4 c) Should septic inspection programs be mandatory or voluntary. Discuss.

Recommend additions to existing programs to aid drinking water source protection. Share your answers and feedback with the group.
Explain your answers to the group.

Unit 4 – What program gaps exist?

Activity 11 – Facilitated Group Dialogue – Title: Program Gaps

Based on facilitator input or your own input what are some of the program gaps which you see as existing at the federal, provincial, watershed, county or municipal level?

What gaps exist in threat identification?
What gaps exist in risk assessment?
Is comprehensive brine well decommissioning program a significant program gap in risk management? Discuss.
What other risk management gaps exist?
What gaps exist in issue mitigation?
What gaps exist in water quantity programs?
What gaps exist in water quality programs?
What other gaps exist?

Activity 12 – Group Dialogue – Title: What kinds of programs do we need to deal with contaminants?

If a contaminant was found in municipal water what kinds of programs would have to be implemented to deal with that?

When do we require ‘soft’ programs and when do we require ‘hard’?
When ‘comprehensive’ and when ‘selective’?
When voluntary or when mandatory?
Exploratory?
What kind of programs should be implemented now, without the presence of a contaminant in municipal water supplies?
What program type would work best to protect against a moderate drinking water risk?
What program type would work best to protect against a significant threat to municipal drinking water sources? (How did the source protection committee deal with threats? Visit sourcewaterinfo.on.ca for the source protection plans.)
Discuss the following topics:

a) Water Conservation

b) Ontario Low Water Response

c) Filtration of water contaminants

d) Chlorination and bacteria

e) Stormwater Management

f) Erosion

g) Flooding

Activity 13 – Small Group Activity – Title: If I had a million dollars . . .

In a small break-out group choose one of the following six areas.

Within that topic prepare a list of programs you would like to see and then
share with the larger group:

1) Capital Projects

2) Education Initiatives

3) Regulatory Changes

4) Grants for Landowners

5) Technology

6) Research

Unit 5 – Wrapping it up

Activity 15 – Review concepts learned during this module and check for understanding about the field learning assignment for next module.

SECTION TWO – Priming the Pump

Notes, Definitions, Fact sheets

H2O

Water may seem like a simple molecule but there’s nothing simple about keeping it clean. There are more than 50 programs in the Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Source Protection Region devoted to water management – and we must look closely to make sure they’re as effective as they can be and that we can add to them if need be.

In addition to an estimated 50 local programs there are also programs at various levels of government, through non-governmental agencies, organizations, and the private sector.

Flood protection was one of the original missions of conservation authorities and remains a central purpose – that helps protect us from pollutants in water as it runs off of land during storms. In that case, you could say we are ‘protecting ourselves from water.’

Many of the programs we need to provide barriers of defence and protection are appropriately designed to protect water from us.

These programs keep water clean enough for drinking, food harvesting (including fisheries); recreation (such as swimming and fishing), for uses of industry (such as manufacturing, agriculture, and commerce as well as tourism, heritage, and culture), and for living … and for the survival of other species sharing our watershed.

Agencies representing different water users run different programs in a watershed context that does not follow political boundaries – because contaminants don’t recognize municipal borders.

When the programs are viewed from a watershed context, some patterns emerge.

The programs to protect water quality fall into two types:

Pollution barriers-at-source programs occur further from water collection
points like streams, lakes, aquifers – further “up” the watershed. They
include industrial, municipal, agricultural, residential and commercial
Beneficial Management Practices and stewardship programs.

End-of-pipe programs occur near the water collection points – further “down” the watershed or at outlets from pollution sources. Examples are water treatment plants or spill clean-ups.

Flood protection and end-of-pipe programs tend to be expensive. They rely on laws and regulations. They build engineered structures. Governments and special-purpose bodies implement them, funded by our taxes. Costs are high but shared among all taxpayers. And, in many cases, such as a capital project to prevent sewage bypasses from a municipal wastewater treatment plant, these projects are necessary to protect our water.

Please consult lists of implementing bodies in source protection plans at sourcewaterinfo.on.ca.

Here are some examples of End-of-Pipe programs:

End-of-Pipe Existing Programs

Program

Activity

Lead contact

Ontario Water Resources Act

Regulates operation and water quality requirements of sewage treatment plants

Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) and municipalities

Ontario Safe Drinking Water Act

Regulates operation and water quality requirements of municipal well operation and water treatment plants

Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) with municipalities

Landfill Sites

Regulations for siting, design, operation and closure: under Environmental Protection Act

Municipalities and counties

Septic System Approvals

Voluntary inspections in Huron.

New and upgraded systems checked.

Municipal or county building inspectors; Health Units

Spills and Fire Control

Plans and clean-up

Municipalities, Fire Departments, and Spills Action Centre of Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks

Barriers-at-source programs tend to be less costly and less regulated. They involve more partners. Many barriers-at-source programs use natural vegetation or change how we do daily activities. Costs are lower but they sometimes fall more on the landowner than on downstream beneficiaries – if there is not sufficient grant funding available.

Here are some examples of Early-Barrier Programs:

Early-Barrier Existing Programs

Program

Activity

Lead contact

Environmental Farm Plan

Agricultural producers assess environmental concerns to plan mitigation
measures.

Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association

Reforestation Assistance Program

Landowners buy and plant seedlings on erodible soils, along watercourses or on recharge areas.

Conservation authority staff advice

Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority;

Maitland Valley Conservation Authority

Conservation Education

Conservation educators deliver programs to school classes and information to landowners to inform them on watershed functioning and their role

Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority;

Maitland Valley Conservation Authority

Ontario Stewardship

A volunteer committee in each county promotes local partnerships to meet local stewardship goals

Rural Lambton Stewardship Network

Middlesex Stewardship Network

Huron Stewardship Council (County of Huron)

Perth Stewardship Network

Wellington County Stewardship Council

Bruce Stewardship Network

Rural Water Quality Program

Conservation authority staff provide advice to participating landowners on best management practices (BMPs). Some counties offers grants.

Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority;

Maitland Valley Conservation Authority

Other: _____

Ausable River Action Plan (ARAP) – Proposed

Ausable River Recovery Strategy

A strategy to reduce nutrients and sediment in watercourses through education, research and stewardship

Ausable Bayfield Conservation

This leads to our task in this module to identify the existing programs which can help make it possible for best risk management practices to take place – and identify changes to programs or recommend new programs to create additional examples of best management practices (BMPs).

The three program types – flood protection, barriers-at-source, and end-of-pipe – are linked.

As barriers-at-source programs increase their effectiveness, they reduce pollution in streams and at the end of pipes, trimming the cost of end-of-pipe programs.
Barriers-at-source also delay flood waters, reducing flood peaks by capturing and slowing down water as it runs off of land.

Please visit https://www.healthylakehuron.ca/ruralstormwater to find out about a new model that helps identify the right projects, at the right size, in the right places to manage stormwater runoff in rural areas.

Flood protection costs can be cut too.

Effective barriers-at-source programs help every watershed resident – improving everyone’s water and potentially easing the tax burden.

How can we make barriers-at-source programs more effective?

Targeting where they will have the most impact.

Sharing the cost.

These are just two of the outcomes of the drinking water source protection project: the watershed community working together and with nature for cleaner water.

Government Roles, Policies and Local Impacts

Province of Ontario

Department

Legislation, Policy

Application

Program

Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks

Ontario Clean Water Act, 2006

Provides mechanism for local creation of source protection plans for source protection areas

Spills Action Centre

Ontario Water Resources Act

Environmental Protection Act

Safeguards on various public and private works

Pollution Prevention Pledge Program

Ontario Water Resources Act

Environmental Assessment Act

Environmental Protection approval process for major public projects

Well Regulations

Installation requirements

Project Funding

Take Water Permits

Water Quality Monitoring Network

Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry

Lakes and Rivers Improvement Act

Focus on water resources stewardship

Stewardship Councils

Conservation Authorities Act

Ontario Regulation 97/04: Regulation of Development, Interference with Wetlands and Alterations to Shorelines and Watercourses

Aggregate Resources Act

Includes measures for aquifer protection in licensing pits and quarries

Conservation Land Tax Incentive Program

Supports improved land cover, which provides drinking water source protection

Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Drainage Act

Nutrient Management Act

Guidance in management of livestock waste

Nutrient Management Plans

Agricultural Code of Practice

Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing

Planning Act

Provides mechanism for counties, municipalities to control land uses

Counties of Bruce, Huron, Lambton, Middlesex, Perth and Wellington

County

Legislation, Policy

Application

Program

Bruce

Official Plan

Protect and enhance air, land and water quality, promote environmentally sound watercourse management

Huron

Official Plan

Local official plans will be amended, where appropriate, based on watershed management plans.

Provides funds for stewardship projects.

Huron County Clean Water Project

Lambton

Official Plan

Water wells that are no longer in use will be decommissioned to the satisfaction of the province to avoid groundwater contamination and minimize threat to public safety.

Local municipalities to ensure adequate reserve capacity to accommodate anticipated growth.

Middlesex

Official Plan

Implementations of restrictions on development and site alteration to protect all municipal drinking water supplies and sensitive groundwater features.

Provides funding for best management practices (BMPs) that improve surface and groundwater quality.

Clean Water Program (Middlesex-Oxford-Perth)

Perth Official Plan

Encourage rehabilitation through stormwater management and stewardship initiatives.

No loss of water quality or quantity though development in groundwater recharge areas.

Provides funding for Best Management Practices (BMPs) that improve surface and groundwater quality.

Clean Water Program (Middlesex-Oxford-Perth)

Wellington Official Plan

Where appropriate, land use policies implement completed watershed management plans.

Ensure that all development meets provincial water quality objectives.

Funds Best Management Practices (BMPs) on agricultural lands.

Rural Water Quality Program

Municipalities

Department

Legislation, Policy

Application

Program

Other (Private Sector, Conservation Authorities, Health Units, Non-Governmental Organizations, etc.)

Organization

Legislation, Policy

Application

Program

Maitland Valley Conservation Authority

Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority

Land acquisition, flood control, flood forecasting and warning, conservation education, water quantity (Low Water Response Team), water quality testing, watershed stewardship, tree planting, Watershed Report Cards

Conservation Education and Better Beach Knowledge – Water Quality in the Classroom

Subsidy for purchasing trees for the purposes of afforestation, erosion control and other stewardship projects.

Habitat Stewardship Program

SECTION THREE

Handouts, Additional Readings, Field Learning Assignment

Reading, Listening and Viewing Resources:

Read brochures on existing programs (e.g., Huron County Clean Water Project) or Stewardship Manuals (e.g., Farm or Rural Non-Farm, Stewardship Guide for Coastal
Landowners).

Field Learning Assignment – Title: How we can conserve water

For next session you will be asked to report on one of the following field
learning assignments:

Use the space left for you here to record your findings from whichever one of the following field learning assignments you have chosen:

a) List three measures you – or other residents – could take to conserve water:

1)
2)
3)

b) List three measures your municipality could take to conserve water.

1)
2)
3)

c) List water conservation measures which could be undertaken in the following areas:

Consult the water quantity and water conservation page at abca.on.ca for ideas.

Industrial and commercial businesses:
Municipalities, halls, or institutions:
Agricultural operations:
Homes

Activity

Self-Assessment on Learning Goals

Complete the attached group self-evaluation form.

More Help

Do you want more information?

Do you want to learn more?

Your facilitator is ready to discuss topics or questions you have, with the goal of helping you master the content of this module and move forward into the next module. Write down your thoughts and the facilitator will follow up with you.

Group Performance Goals

How well did this group achieve its goals this session?

Group Goal Achievement

How well was this goal achieved?
(Please circle one)

Write goal here: