Ontario’s Drinking Water Source Protection Program works to protect raw municipal drinking water sources that we take from lakes, rivers, or underground aquifers from contamination and overuse to supply people with municipal drinking water.

The Lakehead Source Protection Plan was approved on January 16, 2013, and is a locally-developed, science-based plan that meets the requirements of the Clean Water Act, 2006 by protecting sources of municipal drinking water from contamination and over-use. The Assessment Report for the Lakehead Source Protection Area, approved in May of 2011, provides the scientific basis for the Lakehead Source Protection Plan. The extent and rationale behind the Source Protection Plan policy decisions can be found in the Explanatory Document.

The role of the Lakehead Region Conservation Authority (the Source Protection Authority) is to coordinate the protection of municipal drinking water sources from pollution by supporting a multistakeholder Source Protection Committee. The Source Protection Authority completes Annual Reports on progress made toward implementing source protection plan policies.

Do you know what steps to take to protect your drinking water sources? 

If you are a landowner that is not covered by provincially approved source protection plans, then you may be interested in learning how to manage your risks and identify actions that you can take to protect your drinking water source.

The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks has Best Practices for Source Water Protection. The Best Practices information provides easy to understand guidance, tools, and tips to protect drinking water sources in Ontario.