History of Source Water Protection

Source Water Protection: A Brief Timeline

May 2000 – Walkerton tragedy

Early 2002 – Walkerton Inquiry Reports released

2002 – Ontario passes two laws: The Safe Drinking Water Act and the Sustainable Water and Sewage Systems Act

November 2002 – Appointment of Advisory Committee on Watershed-Based Source Protection

November 2003 – Two Advisory Committees named: Technical Experts Committee and Implementation Committee

January 2004 – Provincial White Paper on Source Water Protection

June 2004 – Draft Drinking Water Source Protection Act released for public comment

December 2004 – Technical Experts Committee and Implementation Committee Reports submitted

December 2005 – Clean Water Act (CWA) introduced with first reading

November 2006 – CWA passed

July 2007 – First CWA Regulations passed

August 2007 – Minister of Environment appoints the 19 Source Protection Committee Chairs

November 2007 – Source Protection Committees appointed across the province

December 17, 2007 – First South Georgian Bay Lake Simcoe Source Protection Committee meeting

May/June 2008 – Public Consultation on Terms of Reference (describing who does what)

November 2008 – Terms of Reference completed

June 29, 2009 – Terms of Reference approved (triggering deadline for the Assessment Reports)

September 2 to October 8, 2010 – First Consultation on Proposed Assessment Reports

October 22 to November 22, 2010 – Second Consultation on Proposed Assessment Reports

December 17, 2010 – Submission of Proposed Assessment Reports to Minister of the Environment

February 2011 – Rama First Nation passes resolution requesting their drinking water system be included in the Source Protection Planning process

May 11, 2011 – Commencement of Source Protection Planning announced

June 22, 2011 – Rama First Nation Open House

November 2011 – Municipal Pre-consultation on Source Protection Plan

January 19, 2012 – Proposed Assessment Reports approved by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC)

March 26 to May 25, 2012– First Formal Consultation on Draft Proposed Source Protection Plan

April 16, 19, 21, 24, 2012 – Public Open Houses (Midland, Newmarket, Barrie, Orillia)

August 27 to October 5, 2012 – Second Formal Consultation on Draft Proposed Source Protection Plan

October 22, 2012 – Proposed Source Protection Plan submitted to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change

February 21, 2014 – Rama First Nation formally included in Source Protection Plan

March 11 to April 9, 2014 – Pre–consultation on Revised Proposed Source Protection Plan and 2014 Updated Assessment Reports

April 24 to May 23, 2014 – Formal consultation on Revised Proposed Source Protection Plan and 2014 Updated Assessment Reports

July 3, 2014 – Revised Proposed Source Protection Plan and 2014 Updated Assessment Reports submitted to the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change

January 19, 2015 – Minister approves Assessment Reports

July 1, 2015 – Our Region’s Source Protection Plan takes effect – implementation starts…