All of us can do our part to safeguard the quantity and quality of drinking water, through individual actions such as installing low-flow taps and toilets or switching to non-toxic household cleaning products. You’ll find resources on this page to help homeowners and businesses alike support Ontario’s source water protection efforts.
The Ripple Effect, a fascinating 13-minute video created by Conservation Ontario, explores many of the key issues associated with source water protection, including:
- Where our drinking water comes from
- What happens to water before it gets to our taps
- The origins of source water protection in Ontario
- The multi-barrier approach to protecting source water
- How Ontario’s conservation authorities are involved in source water protection planning
Conservation Ontario has also developed the following fact sheets to give everyone a better understanding of source water protection — and the practical steps you can take to contribute:
Am I Affected by Policies in the CTC Source Protection Plan?
If your home or business is located in a vulnerable area, and you are engaged in any activity that the Clean Water Act, 2006 has identified as an existing or potential threat to drinking water, then there may be policies that affect you.
You can take the following steps to find out:
- Use the map search tool to determine if your home or business is in a vulnerable area.
- If you are in a vulnerable area, consult the list of 22 prescribed drinking water threat activities provided in Ontario Regulation 287/07 Section 1.1 (1). Are you carrying out any of these activities on your property?
- If you are carrying out any of the activities listed, please Contact Us. We can help you determine if your specific circumstance is listed — and whether it is categorized as a “Significant,” “Moderate” or “Low” threat in your vulnerable area. (NOTE: Policies will apply to significant drinking water threats. Policies may apply to low or moderate threats.)
Map Search Tool
The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks has developed a Source Water Protection Information Atlas. This interactive mapping tool enables homeowners, developers, farm owners and municipalities to search any location to determine if it lies within a vulnerable area.
To view the map you must accept the terms of the license agreement. Then, use the magnifying glass icon in the menu at the top left of the map to search for your address.