The Lower Thames Valley Source Protection Area includes those lands draining into the Thames River from the community of Delaware to Lake St. Clair. It also includes the lands that drain into Lake Erie lying south of the lower Thames River watershed and a small triangle of land north of the mouth of the Thames draining directly into Lake St. Clair. This area includes most of the municipality of Chatham-Kent, the western portion of Elgin County, part of southwestern Middlesex County (including some of the City of London) and a portion of eastern Essex County. The area covers approximately 3,274 square kilometres with a total watershed population (2001) of about 107,000.
The residents of the Lower Thames Valley Source Protection Area receive most of their municipal drinking water from Lake Erie through 3 intakes. The communities of Ridgetown and Highgate receive their drinking water from municipal wells. Some part of the watershed within Essex County receive their municipal drinking water from intakes in Lake St. Clair. Although the drinking water for much of the population of the Lower Thames is supplied from municipal drinking water sources, some residents rely on water from municipal wells.

