Everyone should be able to trust that the water they drink is safe. Protecting the sources of our drinking water - lakes, rivers or underground aquifers - is the first step in ensuring safe drinking water.
The Clean Water Act has been passed by the Ontario legislature to assist communities with protecting their municipal drinking water supplies at the source. Through source protection planning, communities will identify potential risks to local water quality and water supply, and will create a plan to reduce or eliminate these risks. The task of developing a plan will involve watershed residents working with municipalities, conservation authorities, property owners, farmers, industry, health officials, community groups, and others.
We all have a role to play in caring for our water. If we want clean water tomorrow, we need to protect our sources of water today.
Local Source Protection Planning
The Trent Conservation Coalition Source Protection Region extends across the Trent and Ganaraska River watersheds, covering a 14,500 square kilometre area stretching from Algonquin Park to Lake Ontario and the Bay of Quinte.
Five Conservation Authorities within the region (Crowe Valley, Ganaraska Region, Kawartha, Lower Trent and Otonabee Conservation Authorities) are working with the Source Protection Committee, local municipalities and other stakeholders to develop source protection plans for their Source Protection Areas.
Municipal Drinking Water Systems
Within the Trent Conservation Coalition Source Protection Region, there are 32 lower tier, three single tier and five upper tier municipalities. There are a total of 54 municipal drinking water systems within the Source Protection Region. There are 35 municipal wells drawing drinking water supply from underground aquifers, and 19 surface water intakes drawing water from inland lakes and rivers or Lake Ontario.