Drinking Source Water Protection in Ontario

Rupesh UdashBakhtiyor Mukhammadiev

July 2, 2014

Green Economy Bridging ProgramCKSS 100: Fundamentals in Sustainability I

Community MicroSkills Development & Ryerson University

“The first barrier to the contamination of drinking water involves protecting the sources of

drinking water.”

- Justice Dennis O'Connor, Walkerton Inquiry 2002

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

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

The Multi-barrier Approach

Source Water Protection -the

first step in multi barrier approach

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.

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.

Source Protection Boundaries in Ontario19 source protection regions, 40 source protection area

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

The CTC Source Protection Region CTC Source Protection Region includes:

- 25 large and small watersheds- Spans over 10,000 km2

- 27 local municipalities and seven regional or county municipalities- 67 municipal supply wells- 16 municipal surface water intakes on Lake Ontario

Toronto Region Conservation Authority is the lead source protection authority

CTC Source Protection Plan is currently under review and is planned to be approved by the fall of 2014

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

The Toronto and Region Source Protection Area

1 of the three source protection areas of CTC

Surface Water Source: TRSPA

97% of residents

11 Intakes

Lake Ontario Water Intakes1 Lakeview WTP Intake2 RL Clark Intake3 Toronto Island Intakes4 RC Harris Intakes5 FJ Horgan Intake6 Ajax Intake

11 intakes in total

Ground Water Source: TRSPA

3% of Residents21 Wells

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

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.

Vulnerable Areas-Municipal Supplies Groundwater Intake (Wellhead protection areas)

No significant water quality threats in delineated vulnerable areas

Vulnerable Areas - Municipal Supplies Surface Water Intake (Intake protection zones)

No significant water quality threats in delineated vulnerable areas

Drinking Water Source and SustainabilityIf 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 SupplyIf 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.

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

WATERPROOF 3:Canada’s Drinking Water Report Card (2011)

In Canada, Ontario has the most well –funded and ambitiousProgram to protect source water. Ontario’s standards for treatment, testing, standards and reporting are stronger than other Canadian jurisdictions.

References1. http://www.cba.org/cba/cle/PDF/ENV11_Abouchar_paper.pdf2. http://www.ctcswp.ca/files/TRSPA_Chapter6_Jan2012.pdf3. http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/source/regs/english/2007/elaws_src_regs_r07284_e.htm4. http://environmentalbeginnings.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Walkerton-Tragedy.pdf5. http://

www.ctcswp.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/RPT_20120118_ApprovedTRSPA-AR_forweb.pdf6. http://www.conservation-ontario.on.ca/what-we-do/source-water-protection7. http://www.trca.on.ca/the-living-city/water-flood-management/source-protection.dot8. https://www.ontario.ca/environment-and-energy/drinking-water9. http://www.pollutionprobe.org/report/swpprimer.pdf10. http://www.ryerson.ca/~awelling/documents/Wellington_Walkerton_Chronology.pdf11. http://www.ecojustice.ca/publications/files/waterproof-3