Stewardship

Actions to Protect Municipal Drinking Water through Watershed Stewardship Activities

As part of its commitment to safe drinking water and in conjunction with the Clean Water Act, the Ministry of the Environment has established the Drinking Water Stewardship Fund, a drinking water support program to help landowners take action to reduce threats to local municipal drinking water sources.

Download the brochure "Ontario Drinking Water Stewardship Program" (PDF)

Who Is Eligible for Funding under the Source Protection Program?

Under the Source Protection Program, funding is available to support landowners who take early actions that protect municipal drinking water sources in two key geographical areas:

The two-year time-of-travel around a municipal wellhead of which there are 24 in the Greater Sudbury Area

The 200-metre radius surface water intake protection zone (IPZ) of a municipal drinking water source. In Sudbury this includes areas around the Vermillion River intake, the Wanapitei River intake and the Ramsey Lake intake.

What Activities are Funded under the Source Protection Program?

Source Protection Program funding will support four key programs:

Well Decommissioning and Upgrading
Improperly maintained and old, unused wells can become a direct pathway for pollution to contaminate our drinking water sources. Work on wells in Ontario must be carried out by a licensed well technician or well contractor licensed under the Ontario Water Resources Act. Plugging or sealing unused wells (known as decommissioning) will reduce the risk of contamination of our groundwater. Funding is available for decommissioning old water wells (e.g., dug, bored, drilled or sandpoint) and upgrades and maintenance for water wells currently in use.

Download the Well Decommissioning/Upgrading Applicant Guide and Application Form (PDF)

Septic System Inspections and Upgrades
Improperly maintained or failing septic systems can contaminate our sources of drinking water and cause serious environmental and health problems. The septic program will provide funding for the repair, upgrade, or replacement of faulty or malfunctioning septic systems.

Download the Septic Systems Inspection and Upgrade Applicant Guide and Application Form(PDF)

Runoff and Erosion Protection
Overland runoff and soil erosion can harmfully impact municipal drinking water sources. Funding is available for projects to restore buffer strips and riparian zones. Well vegetated streambanks and buffer strips can reduce the amount of sediment and nutrients that reach the water source.

Download the Runoff and Erosion Protection Applicant Guide and Application Form (PDF)

Pollution Prevention Surveys for Small Businesses
Pollution prevention audits will be made available to small and medium-sized businesses that manufacture, handle, store, and dispose of materials into water, land, or air, and will identify threats to sources of municipal drinking water.

Download the Pollution Prevention Applicant Guide and Application Form (PDF)

For More Information

For more information on any of the applicable project, please contact the Nickel District Conservation Authority at 674-5249.

For more information on this funding please visit the Ministry of Environment

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