Water source protection plan includes First Nation

Ontario has approved the
South Georgian Bay Lake Simcoe Source Protection Plan to strengthen local
source-to-tap drinking water protection. The plan was developed by local municipal
and community partners, including the Chippewas of Rama First Nation, on the
South Georgian Bay Lake Simcoe source protection committee.

The plan will take effect
July 1. This is the first approved plan to include a First Nation’s drinking
water system.

Source protection plans are
designed to protect the water quality of the lakes, rivers and sources of
underground water that supply municipal drinking water systems. The plans set
out actions to eliminate, manage or reduce potential risks to drinking water
sources.

Of the 111 municipal
drinking water systems here, 79 systems draw water from a groundwater source,
such as an aquifer, eight draw water from a surface source, and the remaining
24 use both a groundwater and a surface source