Policy Text:
To ensure that any drinking water threat in the vicinity of a transport pathway ceases to be or will not become a significant drinking water threat; or that a transport pathway ceases to endanger the raw water supply of a drinking water system, Conservation Authorities should provide an education program that offers information and materials to landowners whose properties may have transport pathways (existing activity or future activity).
Topics to be discussed in the program may include, but are not limited to:
connection between transport pathways and risks to groundwater aquifers;
obligation to maintain wells and decommission abandoned wells under O. Reg 903;
municipal by-laws governing geothermal systems, if enacted;
Canadian Standards Guidelines for the Design and Installation of Earth Energy Systems;
available resources, such as Water Wells Best Management Practices Book from OMAFRA and Water Supply Wells Requirements and Best Management Practices book from MOE
-other initiatives, such as WellAware and Well Wise, that encourage public participation;
assistance and advice available from agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change and Ontario Ground Water Association;
funding opportunities;
the use of a qualified professional to consider the effect of municipal infrastructure and other developments with regard to the establishment of transport pathways;
partnerships between licensing authorities (i.e. Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change for drinking water and Ministry of Natural Resources for oil and gas wells, and pits and quarries) and landowners;
requirement for municipalities to forward proposals to Source Protection Authority where a proposed activity would create a transport pathway;
limitations on siting of wells and geothermal systems that may come into force if new by-laws or statutes are passed; and
best management practices for wells, geothermal systems and other transport pathways.
Monitoring policy MP-28 applies.