Wednesday, April 23, 2025
An amendment to the Plan that protects the sources of municipal drinking water in the Grand River watershed was approved by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks on March 25, 2025.
This update, which came into effect on April 1, 2025, includes infrastructure updates to the Region of Waterloo water supply system that impact the Township of North Dumfries and cities of Cambridge, Kitchener, and Waterloo. The Plan has been updated with new maps and revised policies.
“It is important to keep source protection plans up-to-date to reflect changes in infrastructure and where new information becomes available, so that communities can rest assured that their sources of drinking water are protected,” says Shari Dahmer, Source Protection Program Manager. “We are already working on further Plan updates. These will be brought forward once studies are completed.”
Background
The Plan and its associated documents are available online at www.sourcewater.ca. The Grand River Source Protection Plan was first approved in November 2015 and came into effect July 1, 2016.
The source protection planning process began in 2006 following the Walkerton Inquiry, when the Ontario government passed the Clean Water Act, 2006 to protect the sources of municipal drinking water throughout the province. The process is based on technical studies, collaborative policy development and extensive public consultation.
The process to update the Plan was guided by the Lake Erie Region Source Protection Committee, which is made up of representatives from municipalities, business, industry, farmers, landowners and other stakeholders. The committee is also responsible for updating plans for the Kettle Creek, Catfish Creek, and Long Point Region watersheds.
Implementation of the Plan policies is primarily the responsibility of municipalities and provincial ministries. Source Protection Plans are local, science-based plans designed to protect the water quality and quantity of the lakes, rivers and groundwater that supply municipal drinking water systems. The plans set out actions to eliminate, manage or reduce potential risks to drinking water sources.
Policies in the Source Protection Plans include a variety of approaches to manage and prevent risks to municipal drinking water. These approaches include education and outreach, the development of risk management plans, land use planning, and monitoring. The policies are designed to ensure sufficient supplies and keep contaminants out of rivers, lakes and groundwater aquifers that are sources of municipal drinking water.
The source protection planning process is directed and funded by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks in conjunction with municipalities. Local conservation authorities provide technical, communications and administrative support for the source protection planning process.
