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Landowners with property near municipal wells and
surface water intakes can help protect those sources of
drinking water supplies. In order to help landowners
take action, the provincial government has created the
Ontario Drinking Water Stewardship Program. It provides
grants to help pay for a variety of projects that
protect municipal water supplies from contamination.
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Private wells - particularly those that are old or
abandoned - can provide a pathway for pollutants to
travel from the surface to groundwater sources. The
program offers grants to decommission old wells or
upgrade wells that are still in use.
Poorly maintained or inadequate septic systems can add
contaminants to the groundwater system. Grants are
available to help maintain or upgrade septic systems.
A chemical spill or other mishap on the property of a
business or commercial operation can sometimes result in
pollutants contaminating surface or groundwater
supplies. Free and confidential Pollution Prevention
Reviews will help small and medium businesses identify
potential concerns.
Runoff from rural properties can sometimes result in
contamination of waterways. Grants are available for
erosion control and other farm projects.
To be eligible, the property must be within:
• the 100-metre radius of a municipal wellhead
• the 200-metre radius of a surface water intake
• the two-year time of travel around a municipal
wellhead, approved by the local municipality, or
• the intake protection zone one (IPZ-1) around a
surface water intake, approved by the local municipality
To learn if your property is eligible, consult the
maps
on this website, or contact your local conservation
authority.
The program is being administered by the three
conservation authorities in the Thames-Sydenham and
Region: St. Clair Region Conservation Authority, Lower
Thames Valley Conservation Authority and Upper Thames
River Conservation Authority.
Contact your local conservation authority to learn more
about grant rates and project eligibility.
St. Clair Region Conservation Authority - Steve Shaw
Conservation Services Specialist, 519- 245-3710 ext. 13,
sshaw@scrca.on.ca
Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority - Jack
Robertson, Water Management Supervisor, 519-354-7310
ext. 225,
jack.robertson@ltvca.ca
Upper Thames River Conservation Authority - Brad Glasman,
Coordinator, Conservation Services, 519-451-2800 ext.
251,
glasmanb@thamesriver.on.ca
Each Conservation Authority offers a variety of
stewardship incentive programs in addition to the
Ontario Drinking Water Stewardship Program including
tree planting, manure management, sediment control,
buffer strips, septic system repair and replacement,
well decommissioning and more. Each program is different
in terms of who is eligible and the programs offered.
Ask your conservation authority representative how
grants can be combined with grants from other local,
provincial or federal programs, such as the Clean Water
Program, to reduce the landowner's cost.
Landowners can apply for grants for four types of
projects:
Well decommissioning and upgrading: Grants are available
to decommission old wells, to upgrade wells that are
still in use or to connect to a municipal drinking water
service line and decommissioning the old well. The
program will cover up to 80 per cent of the cost to a
maximum of $4,000.
Download the Well Program fact sheet (pdf)
Runoff and erosion protection: Grants are available for
a wide variety of projects including erosion control,
nutrient management planning, farmyard runoff control,
improved manure storage and handling and others.
Depending on the nature of the project, grants range
from 25 per cent up to 70 per cent. In some cases, these
grants can be stacked with grants from other programs to
cover up to 100 per cent of the cost.
Download the Runoff and Erosion Protection fact sheet
(pdf)
Pollution prevention reviews: Pollution prevention
audits are available to small and medium-sized
businesses that manufacture, handle, store, and dispose
of materials into water, land, or air. The audit will
identify threats to sources of municipal drinking water.
The program will pay 100 per cent of the cost up to a
maximum of $12,000. The audits are handled by an
independent consulting firm. The results are
confidential.
Download the Pollution Prevention Review fact sheet
(pdf)
Septic system inspection and upgrades: The program will
cover up to 80 per cent of the cost of an eligible
project, to a maximum of $7,000. If you have an advanced
septic system, the program will increase this coverage
to a maximum of $15,000.
Download the Septic System Program fact sheet (pdf) |
