The Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) has approved amendments to the source protection plan (SPP) and assessment report for the Maitland Valley Source Protection Area.
The updated plan took effect when the Province of Ontario posted approval on the Environmental Registry of Ontario on Wednesday, July 24, 2024.
The amendments were made under Section 34 (amendments initiated by source protection authority) of the Ontario Clean Water Act, 2006.
Download the Notice of Approval of Amendments (July 24, 2024) now.
The locally developed, provincially approved source protection plan, for the Maitland Valley area, was first approved by the Province of Ontario in 2015 and was later amended in 2019 and now 2024.
The updates include new technical work and revised vulnerable area maps to incorporate recent changes to the Century Heights and the Lucknow municipal drinking water systems. There are no policy changes. The existing source protection policies now apply to the revised wellhead protection areas (WHPAs) for these two systems.
The revised Century Heights WHPA includes new municipal well number 3 in the community of Saltford, in the Township of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh.
The revised Lucknow WHPA reflects increased Permit to Take Water allowances for the Lucknow drinking water system in the Township of Huron-Kinloss.
Revisions to Chapter 4 of the Maitland Valley Assessment Report reflect the changes to the Century Heights and Lucknow drinking water systems, including updated risk assessment.
The approval of the amended source protection plan follows consultation with implementing bodies in January-February of 2024 and with the public between February 6, 2024 and March 14, 2024.
People can find the updated source protection plan on the local source protection region’s source protection plan web page.
Anyone who has questions about the changes is invited to contact the local program co-supervisors, Donna Clarkson or Elizabeth Balfour.
