The document summarizes drinking water source protection in Ontario. It discusses the Walkerton tragedy in 2000 where contaminated drinking water killed 7 people. This led to the Clean Water Act of 2006 which legally mandates source water protection. It established 19 source protection regions, including the CTC region. The CTC region has 3 source protection areas, including the Toronto and Region area which has 11 lake water intakes and 21 groundwater wells supplying drinking water. Threats to drinking water sources in the region were identified in the source protection plan, but none were found in vulnerable areas. The document emphasizes protecting drinking water sources is the first step to ensuring a sustainable and safe drinking water supply.

1. Drinking Source Water
Protection in Ontario
Rupesh Udash
Bakhtiyor Mukhammadiev
July 2, 2014
Green Economy Bridging Program
CKSS 100: Fundamentals in Sustainability I
Community MicroSkills Development & Ryerson University

2. “The first barrier to the
contamination of drinking water
involves protecting the sources of
drinking water.”
- Justice Dennis O'Connor, Walkerton Inquiry 2002

3. The Walkerton Tragedy
 In May 2000, the Walkerton water
supply became contaminated with E.
coli: 2321 people became ill due to
contamination (1346 people were
treated, and 7 died from their illness)
 Leading up to the tragedy:
 Regulatory shortcomings
 Technology deficits
 Insufficient training and knowledge
 Privatization of water testing
 Budget cuts to Ontario Ministry of
the Environment
 Human negligence
The Walkerton Water Tower
Escherichia coli

4. Response to the Walkerton Tragedy
 Part One of the Walkerton Commission of Inquiry:
– Improper operating practices by the Walkerton
Public Utilities Commission and lack of regulatory
and compliance obligations by the Ontario
Government
– Total estimated damage: $64.5-155 million
 Part Two of the Walkerton Commission of Inquiry:
 The Commission recommended that Ontario
residents be guaranteed by law that their tap
water is safe
 The Ontario Government to spend $329 million to
make the water safe
 The Ontario Ministry of the Environment to
establish an agency to oversee water safety

5. The Multi-barrier Approach
Source Water
Protection -the
first step in multi
barrier approach

6. Drinking Source Water Protection
 Protection of municipal supplies at source-first line of defence.
 Source protection one of the most effective and reliable method
for clean drinking water.
 Important for communities that have no access to municipal
supplies.
 It focuses on protecting water before it enters the drinking
water treatment system.
 Clean Water Act 2006 legally mandates source water protection
in Ontario.

7. Clean Water Act, 2006
 Clean Water Act came into force in 2006, as a direct response to the Walkerton
incident.
 CWA addressed the recommendations of Justice O’Connor’s Report regarding
source water protection and laid down the legal framework for source water
protection in Ontario.
 As a key requirement of the act, by 2007, source protection areas, source
protection regions and 19 corresponding source protection committees (SPC)
were established all over Ontario.
 CWA requires development of source water protection plans at the watershed
level developed in partnership with local stakeholders.
 Source Protection Committee is responsible for developing the plan and MoE is
responsible for approving the source protection plan.

8. Source Protection Boundaries in Ontario
19 source protection regions, 40 source protection area

9. CTC Source Protection Region
– The CTC SPR is one of 19 source protection regions in Ontario
– 3 source protection areas

10. The CTC Source Protection Region

11. Stakeholder Map:
The CTC Source Water Protection Region
Municipalities:
27 local and 7
regional/county
municipalities
Economic Sectors:
land, golf course,
agriculture, energy,
petrochemical
Public Sector:
environmental NGOs,
citizens at large
Liaison Members:
TRCA, Ministry of the
Environment, Toronto
Public Health

12. The Toronto and Region Source Protection Area
1 of the three source protection areas of CTC

13. Surface Water Source: TRSPA
97% of
residents
11
Intakes
Lake Ontario Water Intakes
1 Lakeview WTP Intake
2 RL Clark Intake
3 Toronto Island Intakes
4 RC Harris Intakes
5 FJ Horgan Intake
6 Ajax Intake
11 intakes in total

14. Ground Water Source: TRSPA
3% of
Residents
21 Wells

15. Drinking Water Threats
• What are the drinking water threats in TRSPA?
• Drinking water threats as defined by Clean Water Act:
“an activity or condition that adversely affects or has the potential to adversely
affect the quality or quantity of any water that is or may be used as a source of
drinking water”
Sewage Treatment
Plants
Pesticide/fertilizers
Application/Storage/ Handling of
agricultural source material
Application of road salt
Waste Disposal Sites Handling/storage of fuel
Livestock grazing
Organic solventStorage of SnowDe-icing of aircrafts

16. Source Water Threat-TRSPA
 Drinking water threat within TRSPA is reported in the legally mandated
TRSPA Assessment Report-Jan 2012.
 Water Quantity: Lake Ontario, which supplies most of the drinking water
within TRSPA, is exempt from threats related to water quantity.
 Water Quality (groundwater & surface): A total of 456 of significant
drinking water quality threats are identified within TRSPA, including
scenarios of disinfection failures at WTP, E. coli release from industrial
facilities, sanitary trunk sewer breaks, spill of gasoline as a result of
pipeline break, etc.
 Non of the significant threats in the delineated vulnerable areas.

17. Vulnerable Areas-Municipal Supplies
Groundwater Intake (Wellhead protection areas)
No significant water quality threats
in delineated vulnerable areas

18. Vulnerable Areas - Municipal Supplies
Surface Water Intake (Intake protection zones)
No significant water quality threats
in delineated vulnerable areas

19. Drinking Water Source and Sustainability
If there is an insufficient water quantity, the cost of water could
consequently rise and then there is an issue of social justice and
economic vitality.
If there is an inadequate water quality due to microbial or other
contamination, human health could be affected.
If there is a water problem in one community, it may become a
problem for other communities that partner in the provision of water
(water is often a shared resource between communities).
Sustainable Drinking Water Supply
If a person can turn the tap on over 15 or 20 years time and the water
comes out at the same rate and quality, and at the same cost, as the
day the system was commissioned, then it is a sustainable supply.

20. Ontario Drinking Water Safety Net
Source to tap
focus
Strong
legislative
and
regulatory
framework
Multifaceted
compliance
improvement
toolkit
Health-based
standards for
drinking
water
Regular and
reliable
water testing
Partnership,
transparency
and public
engagement
Mandatory
licensing,
operator
certification
and training
requirements
Swift, strong
action on
adverse
water quality
incidents

21. WATERPROOF 3:
Canada’s Drinking Water Report Card (2011)
In Canada, Ontario has the most well –funded and ambitious
Program to protect source water. Ontario’s standards for
treatment, testing, standards and reporting are stronger than
other Canadian jurisdictions.

22. References
1. http://www.cba.org/cba/cle/PDF/ENV11_Abouchar_paper.pdf
2. http://www.ctcswp.ca/files/TRSPA_Chapter6_Jan2012.pdf
3. http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/source/regs/english/2007/elaws_src_regs_r07284_e.htm
4. http://environmentalbeginnings.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Walkerton-Tragedy.pdf
5. http://www.ctcswp.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/RPT_20120118_ApprovedTRSPA-
AR_forweb.pdf
6. http://www.conservation-ontario.on.ca/what-we-do/source-water-protection
7. http://www.trca.on.ca/the-living-city/water-flood-management/source-protection.dot
8. https://www.ontario.ca/environment-and-energy/drinking-water
9. http://www.pollutionprobe.org/report/swpprimer.pdf
10. http://www.ryerson.ca/~awelling/documents/Wellington_Walkerton_Chronology.pdf
11. http://www.ecojustice.ca/publications/files/waterproof-3