Region of Durham – Cannington & Sunderland Amendments
Amendments to protect the long-term safety and reliability of Cannington’s Drinking Water
Written Comments Due Wednesday May 20th, 2026
There are proposed changes to the South Georgian Bay Lake Simcoe Source Protection Plan which relate to the Cannington drinking water system, where monitoring has shown increasing nitrate levels in the groundwater supplying the municipal wells, and to the Sunderland Drinking Water System where a well is being replaced.
The drinking water remains compliant with Provincial standards and is safe to drink. However, steps are being proposed now to reduce future risk and help ensure the water supply remains safe for years to come.
Proposed changes to protect drinking water
To protect the long-term safety and reliability of Cannington’s drinking water, changes are being proposed to the measures used to protect the municipal wells in Cannington.
These changes include:
- Identifying the parts of the landscape where the aquifer is vulnerable to nitrate contamination (otherwise known as an Issue Contributing Area).
- Identifying an area where there appears to be a direct connection between surface and water and groundwater (otherwise known as a wellhead protection area
- Introducing policies in the Source Protection Plan to manage activities that could contribute nitrate within the Issue Contributing Area and wellhead protection area-E).
The changes in Sunderland include removing the wellhead protection area around the well that has been decommissioned, and introducing a new wellhead protection area around the replacement well. As the new well is in close proximity to the one being replaced, changes in the wellhead area are minor in nature; no new threats to drinking water have been identified, and no new restrictions on property owners are being introduced.
The Clean Water Act, 2006 allows Source Protection Authorities to update Source Protection Plans when new information about drinking water risks becomes available.
Implications for Landowners
If your property is in the identified area, you will have already received notification by mail.
A map can be found in the links below.
Manure & Fertilizer Use
If your property is found within the identified area and the proposed changes are approved by the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (anticipated by the end of the year) you may be asked to negotiate a risk management plan and/or a nutrient management strategy for your property if you are engaged in one or more of the following activities:
- Application and/or storage of agricultural source material (manure)
- Application and/or storage of commercial fertilizers that contain nitrogen
If your property is in one of the most vulnerable areas (as shown in red or purple on the map) these activities would be prohibited. Additional detail about this can be found in the documents linked below.
Septic System Use
If proposed changes are approved, septic systems located in highly vulnerable areas (shown in red on the maps) will be subject to a visual, non-intrusive inspection by the Durham Region Health Department every five years at no cost to the homeowner. Additional detail about this can be found in the documents linked below.
Request for written comments
Comments on the proposed amendments must be submitted in writing by May 20th 2026 to Don Goodyear at:
- d.goodyear@lsrca.on.ca
- Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority
120 Bayview Parkway
Newmarket, Ontario L3Y 3W3
If you have any questions about water quality in Cannington, please contact Shelly Cuddy, Hydrogeologist & Risk Management Official at the Region of Durham, Works Department, at Shelly.Cuddy@durham.ca