Source Water Protection

The Municipality of Thames Centre owns and operates two municipal drinking water systems which are supplied by groundwater wells. Our systems produce safe, high quality drinking water for the communities of Dorchester and Thorndale.

As a result, much of our community depends on groundwater for its drinking water; however, groundwater is susceptible to contamination from activities occurring on the surface. Contaminants can end up sinking into the ground and impacting the groundwater supply.

Groundwater contamination can occur from:

leaking fuel tanks
overuse of fertilizers and pesticides
manure application
chemical leaks and spills
poorly maintained septic systems
wells

If groundwater becomes contaminated it will create long-term issues that are costly to fix. To ensure drinking water is safe and clean it is important to prevent contamination at the source. Source water protection is the first step to protect existing and future sources of drinking water.

Clean Water Act

In 2006, the Ontario Government passed the Clean Water Act.

This legislation was a response to the Walkerton water tragedy in 2000 when the local drinking water supply became contaminated with E.coli bacteria, causing seven deaths and leaving thousands others ill.

The Clean Water Act developed regional Source Protection Plans (SPPs), based on local watersheds. Thames Centre is part of the Thames-Sydenham and Region Source Protection Plan.

Source Protection Plans were developed by multi-stakeholder source protection committees. The Plans contain policies to ensure potential risks to drinking water are being managed.

Wellhead Protection Areas (WHPAs)

Maps have been created to show the locations of municipal drinking water wells and the vulnerable areas that contribute water to the drinking water system. The vulnerable areas around municipal wells are designated as wellhead protection areas and issue contributing areas. Wellhead protection areas have been given scores and ratings based on their vulnerability and susceptibility to contamination. It is these localized areas that need to be protected and managed to reduce the risk to drinking water.

What If I Have a "Significant Threat" On My Property?

The Municipality of Thames Centre has identified property owners whose land is within a Wellhead Protection Area, and reaches out to those property owners to notify them.

The Source Protection Plans include policies that address significant drinking water threats. The Plans manage threat activities using risk management, prohibition, and existing provincial requirements.

Before land owners are required to make any changes to the activities on their property, a Risk Management Inspector will conduct a site visit to confirm whether the activity constitutes a significant threat under the Clean Water Act.

Activities are determined to be significant based on the location within a wellhead protection area and if the activity meets specific circumstances. In most cases, the activity will be allowed to continue, but with some best management practices put into place. These best management practices will help to reduce the risk of groundwater contamination.

Resources

Report a Spill or Incident

To report a spill, call the Ontario Clean Water Agency at their 24-hour emergency line: 1-800-268-6060

For an After Hours Water Emergency, call us at: 519-930-8118

Municipality of Thames Centre
4305 Hamilton Rd
Dorchester, ON, Canada, N0L 1G3

Ph (519)268-7334
Fax (519)268-3928

inquiries@thamescentre.on.ca