We all know humans depend on clean water to survive.  We need it for cooking, cleaning and most importantly drinking!  Water is also critical to plants and animals, especially fish; it is essential for agriculture and industry; it adds value to properties; and it provides many recreational opportunities.  So who ensures that water in Eastern Ontario stays clean and is used wisely?  Read on to discover the many people involved.

Wetlands: 

You find wetlands (marshes, swamps, bogs and fens) along the edges of lakes, rivers and streams and in low lying areas where water pools either some or all of the year.  In Ontario, it is the Ministry of Natural Resources (www.mnr.gov.on.ca) and some municipalities, who identify and map wetlands that need to be protected.  Conservation Authorities (www.conservation-ontario.on.ca) then protect these wetlands by limiting what development can take place in, or within 120 metres, of these wetlands.  Why protect wetlands?  Because they provide many benefits like reducing erosion and flooding, improving water quality, providing wildlife habitat and promoting groundwater recharge.   

Lakes/Rivers/Streams & Groundwater:

Just like your regular visit to the doctor, conservation authorities and their volunteers regularly perform "check-ups" on lakes, rivers and streams to see if they are healthy.  They check water temperature and quality and the types of bugs, fish and plants that are living in the water.  Similarly, Conservation authorities and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment (www.ene.gov.on.ca) use a network of wells across the province to track the amount and quality of Ontario’s groundwater.  

To help protect local lakes, rivers, streams and groundwater:

•    Conservation authorities and municipalities (and Parks Canada on federal waterways like the Rideau Canal) work together to review applications for new lots and development.  Their job is to protect fish habitat, wetlands, shorelines and groundwater and ensure responsible waterfront development, especially in floodplains. If a project might harm fish habitat, approval may be required from the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca).  
•    Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment limits what people can release into surface and groundwater.  They also regulate people wanting to take more than 50,000 litres of water a day from a river, lake, stream or groundwater.
•    The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (www.omafra.gov.on.ca) manages some farm operations to prevent manure and fertilizer runoff.  
•    Other pieces of legislation regulate mining activities, pesticide use, aggregate extraction, septic systems, landfills, fuel storage, sewage treatment plants and stormwater ponds.  

Drinking water: 

Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment stringently regulates municipal drinking water by regularly inspecting water treatment plants and requiring a high level of operator training and record keeping.  Conservation Authorities and municipalities are now working with this Ministry to further protect the sources of water (lakes, rivers and groundwater) that supply municipal water treatment facilities.  By August 2012, policies will be developed by local Source Protection Committees to manage activities like fuel and chemical storage and pesticide and fertilizer use close to municipal wells and surface water intake pipes in rivers and lakes.  

For rural residents on private wells, Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment does legislate how a new well must be constructed and how an unused one must be sealed.  This is to help prevent chemicals and bacteria on the ground from travelling down wells and polluting groundwater.  Rural property owners are responsible for having their own water tested and ensuring that it is being properly treated if necessary.  It is recommended that private well owners have their well water tested two to three times a year, a service offered free of charge by local health units (www.health.gov.on.ca/english/public/contact/phu/phuloc_mn.html).

The Public: 

Rules alone cannot protect water.  Conservation authorities, municipalities, government ministries, lake associations, farm groups, stewardship councils, community groups, riverkeepers, volunteer organizations and individuals like you, deliver or take part in countless programs each year that help protect water by educating and encouraging.    
•    Public education campaigns help make people aware of the value of water and how they can help protect it.
•    Land acquisition programs provide people with incentives to donate sensitive lands (wetlands, waterfront) to agencies like conservation authorities and land trusts so ecological features and functions are protected in perpetuity.
•    Stewardship incentive programs help people make positive changes on their property that protect water quality – projects like upgrading wells and septic systems, planting trees, naturalizing shorelines and preventing manure, fertilizer and pesticide runoff.     

So Who Should You Call?
Not quite sure who to call about your next personal water-related project?   Easiest and most reliable thing to do is contact the Information Specialists at the LandOwner Resource Centre at 613-692-3571 or 1-800-267-3504 ext 1128 or 1132 who will figure out who you need to talk to about your proposed work.   Keep their number handy.

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For more information please contact:                    

Sommer Casgrain-Robertson, Co-Project Manager
Mississippi-Rideau Source Protection Region
Tel.:     613-692-3571 or 1-800-267-3504 ext 1147
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.mrsourcewater.ca