The Province of Ontario has approved (effective March 26, 2024) updates to the source protection plans and assessment reports for the Ausable Bayfield and Maitland Valley Source Protection Areas.
The notice announcing approval of the updates was published on the Environmental Registry of Ontario (ERO) on March 26, 2024:
Download the Notice of Amendments (March 26, 2024) from Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Source Protection Region – 300 KB (medium-sized) PDF file.
Source Protection Plans for the Maitland Valley and Ausable Bayfield source protection areas were first approved by the Ontario’s Environment Minister on January 19, 2015. The plans first took effect on April 1, 2015.
The plan policies are to further protect municipal sources of drinking water from existing and future threats.
A local committee developed the plans. The committee is made up of representatives from municipalities, agriculture, industrial and commercial businesses, property owner associations, the environmental sector, and the public. There are also non-voting liaisons from public health, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, and source protection authorities.
The plans are based on the technical and scientific studies outlined in the Assessment Reports. These reports were developed with extensive public consultation.
Policies in the Source Protection Plans include a variety of tools such as education and outreach, risk management plans, prohibitions, land use planning, and others. Most of the policies apply only in a relatively small portion of the region, in the most vulnerable areas surrounding the municipal water supplies.
An Explanatory Document has been prepared to accompany the Source Protection Plans. This document explains how the Source Protection Committee arrived at the policies in the Source Protection Plans and provides the rationale for those policies.
These threats have been identified through the technical and scientific work outlined in the Assessment Reports.
The plans are available online through this web page as large PDF files, or can be reviewed at the Maitland Valley or Ausable Bayfield source protection authority offices during regular business hours. To arrange other ways to inspect these documents please contact source protection region staff at 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610.
These document downloads are very large PDF files.
Download Website Notice Download Explanatory DocumentDownload the Ausable Bayfield Source Protection Plan
