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North Bay-Mattawa Source Protection Authority
News Release

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The Proposed Drinking Water Source Protection Plan (SP Plan) for the North Bay-Mattawa Source Protection Area has been posted on www.actforcleanwater.ca for public review and comment until August 19.

The policies contained in the SPP are designed to prevent, manage or eliminate significant threats to the sources of municipal drinking water in Callander, Mattawa, North Bay, Powassan, South River and the cluster of private wells in Trout Creek.

“The Proposed Plan took a science-based, watershed approach that relied on broad community consultation with multiple stakeholders. The policies were the result of extensive discussions and deliberations by the Source Protection Committee and staff to ensure that our sources of drinking water remain safe,” said Dave Mendicino, Chair of the North Bay-Mattawa Source Protection Authority.

The planning process began in 2005 with capacity building and the passing of the Ontario Clean Water Act in 2006 in response to a provincial inquiry into the contamination of Walkerton’s drinking water in May 2000. The Walkerton contamination resulted in the death of seven people and thousands of others becoming ill from drinking the contaminated water.

The source water for each municipal system was characterized through a series of technical studies. Those analyses lead to the identification of the vulnerability of each system and the activities which can or could pose a threat to the quality or quantity of source water. Policies were written by the Source Protection Committee to ensure the threats never become or cease to be significant threats.

The Proposed SP Plan, together with all written comments received between July 20 and August 19, 2012 will be submitted to the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) by August 20, 2012 for approval. The Director of MOE’s Source Protection Branch will then begin the official review of the SP Plan to ensure it is complete and meets all legislated requirements. Policy implementation is expected to begin in 2013.

Written comments can be submitted to Dave Mendicino, Chair, North Bay-Mattawa Source Protection Authority, 15 Janey Ave., North Bay P1C 1N1, by mail, fax 705 474-9793 or by email to [email protected] . Deadline for submission of comments is August 19, 2012.

The public can view the complete Proposed Source Protection Plan, the Explanatory Document as well as the Assessment Report and Technical Studies which provide the scientific basis for the Proposed SPP at www.actforcleanwater.ca, by requesting a copy by emailing [email protected] or by contacting the Source Protection Planner at (705) 474-5420.

The SPC is comprised of representation of multiple sectors including municipalities, agriculture, transportation, industrial/commercial and the general public with the Chair, Barbara Groves, appointed by the province. The Drinking Water Source Protection Program is funded 100% by the Province of Ontario.

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