In accordance with Section 22(2)-[7] of the Clean Water Act further monitoring and research of Microcystin is required for the Wheatley and Chatham/South Kent Surface Water Intakes to:

assist in the delineation of the issues contributing area (ICA);
identify activities contributing to the issue (via the release of Phosphorous); and,
assess whether Microcystin LR continues to be an issue.

The Chatham-Kent PUC and Essex Region Conservation Authority, in collaboration with the Province (Ministry of Environment) and other bodies where possible, should continue the support of existing water quality monitoring programs where they relate to the assessment of the Microcystin LR Issue, the delineation of an ICA or the identification of threats contributing to the Issue.

Opportunities to better coordinate monitoring efforts to characterize water quality during events, and areas contributing to the issue under the event, should be considered.

Where it is appropriate, additional water quality monitoring should be incorporated into existing programs or added as new programs.

These monitoring efforts should be directed at such things as, but not limited to: event based water quality monitoring (both blooms and runoff events), correlation between the various monitoring programs (locally and within the western Basin of Lake Erie), and contributions through transport pathways.

Participation in these monitoring programs is dependent on adequate resources (such as funding and staff capacity) being available.

5.04: Ministry of Environment, and all other implementers, shall establish
monitoring programs as per Section 45 of the Clean Water Act. The
information collected through these monitoring programs shall be included
in a monitoring report that shall be submitted annually to the Upper
Thames River Conservation Authority. The information submitted to the
Conservation Authority shall be consistent with the guidance developed
pursuant to policy 5.02 where that guidance identifies items required to
meet provincial reporting requirements of the implementer or SPA.
Aspects of the guidance which are beyond that which is necessary to
satisfy provincial reporting requirements shall be considered in submitting
the monitoring reports. Monitoring reports are to be submitted by February
1 of each year following the first anniversary of the effective date of the
Source Protection Plan. Monitoring reports shall include information since
the submission of the previous monitoring report to December 31 of the
year previous to the deadline for report submission. For the first report, the
information shall include information from the effective date of the Source
Protection Plan.

5.07: Conservation Authorities, and all other implementers, shall establish
monitoring programs as per Section 45 of the Clean Water Act. The
information collected through these monitoring programs shall be included
in a monitoring report that shall be submitted annually to the Source
Protection Authority. The information submitted to the Source Protection
Authority shall be consistent with the guidance developed pursuant to
policy 5.02 where that guidance identifies items required to meet provincial
reporting requirements of the implementer or SPA. Aspects of the
guidance which are beyond that which is necessary to satisfy provincial
reporting requirements shall be considered in submitting the monitoring
reports. Monitoring reports are to be submitted by February 1 of each
year following the first anniversary of the effective date of the Source
Protection Plan. Monitoring reports shall include information since the
submission of the previous monitoring report to December 31 of the year
previous to the deadline for report submission. For the first report, the
information shall include information from the effective date of the Source
Protection Plan.

5.08: Municipalities, and all other implementers, shall establish monitoring
programs as per Section 45 of the Clean Water Act. The information
collected through these monitoring programs shall be included in a
monitoring report that shall be submitted annually to the Upper Thames
River Conservation Authority. The information submitted to the
Conservation Authority shall be consistent with the guidance developed
pursuant to policy 5.02 where that guidance identifies items required to
meet provincial reporting requirements of the implementer or SPA.
Aspects of the guidance which are beyond that which is necessary to
satisfy provincial reporting requirements shall be considered in submitting
the monitoring reports. Monitoring reports are to be submitted by February
1 of each year following the first anniversary of the effective date of the
Source Protection Plan. Monitoring reports shall include information since
the submission of the previous monitoring report to December 31 of the
year previous to the deadline for report submission. For the first report, the
information shall include information from the effective date of the Source
Protection Plan.