The Nickel District Conservation Authority will receive $585,000 to help finish the technical studies they need to develop plans for protecting local sources of drinking water, Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci announced in a news release.
Source protection is about safeguarding sources of drinking water, including Ontario’s lakes, rivers and groundwater, by preventing them from being contaminated or depleted, stated the release.
The Clean Water Act requires communities to prepare source protection plans that set out how they will protect municipal drinking water supplies, according to the news release. The scientific groundwork gives communities an accurate picture of their water supply, how it’s replenished and what threatens the quality of their water. This information is used to decide what action to take to reduce or eliminate the threats.
Ontario is investing more than $23 million to help conservation authorities and municipalities across the province with these studies, continue the release. Investing in protecting drinking water sources is part of the McGuinty government’s plan to safeguard Ontario’s water. Since 2004, conservation authorities and municipalities have received over $93 million for technical studies and to help build community awareness.
“Ontario is taking real steps to protect drinking water sources now and for future generations,” said Bartolucci in the release.
“The Nickel District Conservation Authority (NDCA) and Greater Sudbury Source Protection Authority (GSSPA) want to thank the Ontario government, through the Ministry of the Environment, for the ongoing support to complete this very important work for our watershed residents,” said John Dennis, vice-chair of the NDCA and GSSPA, in the news release.
"The Greater Sudbury Source Protection Committee is working very hard to meet the requirements of the Clean Water Act in order to complete a first generation Source Protection Plan for Greater Sudbury and this funding for technical studies is a strong commitment by the Ontario government,” said Nels Conroy, chair of the GSSPC, in the release.
