The Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley (ABMV) Source Protection Committee (SPC) approved the 2022 Annual Progress Report for submission to the Province of Ontario. This progress report documents the achievements made together with municipalities, agencies and ministries to implement local source protection plan (SPP) policies that add protection to local municipal drinking water sources. You may view or download this report on the local source protection website documents page.

The ABMV source protection region includes almost all of Huron County and parts of Bruce, Perth, Wellington, Lambton and Middlesex counties. There are 26 municipal groundwater well systems and two Lake Huron intakes (Goderich and Lake Huron Primary Water Supply System near Grand Bend) in the region. The source of water for the wells is typically deep bedrock aquifers which are protected by a thick overburden.

The SPC reviewed the Annual Progress Report and agreed implementation was “progressing well,” as all policies that address significant threats are implemented or in progress. Most municipalities in this region have updated their official plans to incorporate source protection plan policies. Also, more than 98 per cent of the required risk management plans are in place. These plans address activities such as fuel, waste and chemical storage. In this region, 204 septic systems close to municipal wells require inspection every five years. The second round of inspections is underway, with 73 systems inspected in 2022.

The source protection region encourages people to keep an eye out for the 88 drinking water protection zone signs installed on roadways in the region near municipal water sources. The signs alert citizens they have entered a vulnerable area around a municipal well and that actions in these zones can have an impact on a municipal drinking water source.

The region created a series of eight videos, between 2020 and 2022, featuring source protection committee members. The videos promote source water protection. The videos can be found on the local source protection region website on the source protection videos web page.

The SPC reviewed the annual report and acknowledged “… the local municipalities, stakeholders, and other implementing bodies for their contribution to this annual progress report, and for their ongoing efforts to implement the SPP policies. The great progress made to date on SPP implementation would not have been possible without their strong support.”

To learn more about drinking water source protection visit the local source protection region website.