News Release

For immediate release
November 14, 2003

ONTARIO GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHES ADVISORY COMMITTEES ON
PROTECTING WATER SOURCES

ALLISTON—Taking the first step in the government’s strategy on source water protection, Environment Minister Leona Dombrowsky today announced the formation of two expert source protection committees.

“Developing legislation to protect water sources is a priority for our government as we move forward on implementing all of Commissioner O’Connor’s recommendations,” said Dombrowsky, speaking at the annual A. D. Latornell Conservation Symposium. “We are working with the experts— the top minds and leading thinkers in source protection— to find the best ways to protect our water at the source.”

Two committees will be formed, a technical committee and an implementation committee. The technical experts committee, tasked with providing advice on an Ontario-based threat assessment process, will be made up of a dozen individuals who have expertise in managing and protecting ground and surface waters. Areas they will advise on include:

• categorizing threats to water;
• linking groundwater protection to surface water management;
• the effects of water-takings on the availability and quality of drinking water;
• appropriate risk management tools for various levels of threats; and
• protecting both current and future drinking water sources.

The technical experts committee will be co-chaired by D. Gayle Wood, Chief Administrative Officer, Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority and Joan Andrew, Assistant Deputy Minister, Environmental Sciences and Standards Division, Ministry of the Environment. Ms Wood is also a member of Conservation Ontario.

The implementation committee will provide advice to the government on tools and approaches to implement watershed-based source protection planning. Committee members will come from key sectors including municipalities, conservation authorities, First Nations, agriculture and other industries and environment and health groups. One of the committee’s first tasks will be to provide advice on new and existing roles and responsibilities of the province, municipalities and conservation authorities to implement source protection plans. The committee will also examine innovative funding mechanisms and incentives.

The work of the committees will build on the recommendations and work of the Advisory Committee on Watershed-Based Source Protection Planning. The members of the committees and the co-chairs of the implementation committee will be announced shortly.

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Contact:
Mark Rabbior
Communications Branch
Ministry of the Environment
(416) 314-6666