Conservation Ontario and local source protection authorities and regions launched a three-week public information campaign, starting on October 7, about drinking water protection zone signs.
Conservation Ontario’s Source Water Protection Lead, Deborah Balika, says for people who see the signs and don't know what they're about, the campaign will help. She says there are 22 recognized drinking water threats under the Clean Water Act.
“So really they range from managing waste and land fills to pesticides to sewage to other chemicals, nutrients and fuel and then there's also any activity that threatens water quantity.”
Balika says Source Protection Plans have been developed to help manage these threats and it's those protection plans that actually contain policies like land use planning.
“It's these protection plans that actually contain policies such as land use planning, risk management planning and education and outreach tools to help manage those risks of the activities that are the drinking water threats.”
Additionally, Balika says the campaign includes a music video and a drinking water source protection road sign interactive map.
“You can go on to the map and you'll see little water droplets and if you click on one of those water droplets, it will give you a little bit of information about the drinking water system in your area and then link you to some local information.”
Balika says the song and the interactive map can be found at protectwater.ca.
