Source water protection and planning/building applications
Planning/ building applications on properties located within vulnerable areas may be subject to Source Protection Plan policies if they propose activities identified as significant drinking water threats that may potentially contaminate or overuse municipal drinking water sources such as:
- Applying, handling and storing road salt and snow storage.
- Handling and storing fuels, solvents, hazardous waste and other related chemicals.
- Activities that reduce return of water into the ground.
- Applying, handling, and storing pesticides, fertilizers, agricultural and non-agricultural materials.
- Activities that take water without returning it to the same water source.
- Installing or modifying septic and other sewage systems.
- Use of land for livestock yards and/or pasturing.
Is my property in a vulnerable area?
Applicants can contact their local municipal Planning and Building Departments or Halton Region’s Source Protection Office to obtain this information prior to submitting an application. To find out if your property falls within a vulnerable area, such as a wellhead protection area or surface water treatment plant intake zone, call 311.
Did you know?
Compliance with Source Protection Plans is applicable law in the Planning Act and the Ontario Building Code when the property is located in a vulnerable area.
How is my application reviewed?
Municipalities have developed tools to determine whether your application may be subject to Source Protection Plan policies, such as the Source Protection Checklist (available at local municipal building/ planning service desks). If the subject property is located in a vulnerable area, applicants will be requested to complete and submit this single page checklist along with other supporting documentation (drawings, details, etc.).
Staff will review the submission and communicate any Source Water Protection requirements to the applicant. In some cases, additional information regarding the proposed activity may be requested to complete the review process.
What do I need to do to comply with Source Water Protection?
Some activities will be managed through traditional methods such as Environmental Compliance Approvals, Permits-To-TakeWater, Nutrient Management Plans, and Nutrient Management Strategies. However, depending on the level of risk associated with the proposed activities, some may be prohibited as proposed or require other supporting documents such as:
- Risk Management Plans (see Risk Management Plan fact sheet)
- Site-Specific Salt Management Plans
- Water Balance Assessments
- Hydrogeological Assessments
Where proposed activities are prohibited or regulated through Source Water Protection, municipal staff will provide applicants with detailed feedback regarding what is required.
Did you know?
For planning/ building applications located in vulnerable areas, a notice to proceed is required from Halton Region’s Risk Management Official before applications are processed.