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→Source Protection Plans
===Source Protection Plans===
===Source Protection Plans===
A source protection plan (SPP) contains policies developed by the source water protection committee aimed at protecting existing and future sources of municipal drinking water. Ultimately, SPPs help reduce or eliminate significant drinking water threats within its associated zone/area. These drinking water threats are listed in the following and the SPPS have policies place which must also be enforced. These policies when implemented help to both manage and/or prohibit significant threats as a result of various activities to ensure that they cannot pollute or deplete necessary sources of municipal drinking water within the zone/area.
A source protection plan (SPP) contains policies developed by the source water protection committee aimed at protecting existing and future sources of municipal drinking water from significant threats to both quality and quantity of the resources. Land use activities that represent threats to drinking water sources have been identified and categorized as significant when located within highly vulnerable areas or zones, such as wellhead protection areas (WHPAs) for municipal groundwater wells, intake protection zones (IPZs) for surface water sources, and significant groundwater recharge areas (SGRAs).
An important first step for designers and approvers of all stormwater management systems in Ontario is to determine if land use activities associated with the proposed development represent significant threats to municipal drinking water sources and what source water protection plan and policies apply to the site. The Province of Ontario's [https://swpip.ca/ Source Water Protection Information Portal] provides a convenient means of screening proposals and identifying the source protection plan to consult for further guidance and specific policies.
Based on the most current [https://threats.swpip.ca/ Drinking Water Threats and Circumstances database tool], stormwater treatment and infiltration facilities, outfalls and associated infrastructure, whether in an industrial/commercial, residential/institutional or rural context, may represent significant threats to drinking water sources when proposed within certain WHPA and IPZ areas and may need to be located outside of highly vulnerable areas or zones. Proposed developments that include creation of paved areas that will receive road salt applications during winter may also represent a significant threat to drinking water quality in highly vulnerable areas or where source water quality issues already exist (i.e., issue-contributing areas). Furthermore, if the proposed development involves creation of impermeable surfaces to the extent that it will significantly reduce recharge to an aquifer, stormwater infiltration facilities may be required.
The Province of Ontario's on-line [https://www.lioapplications.lrc.gov.on.ca/SourceWaterProtection/index.html?viewer=SourceWaterProtection.SWPViewer&locale=en-CA Source Protection Information Atlas] can be used to determine what source water protection area or region a proposed development site is located within, and if it falls within a vulnerable area, where source water protection policies would apply. Determining if source water protection policies apply to a development site should be an important first step in the design of all stormwater management systems. If the proposed development site is located in a vulnerable area or zone, the current source water protection plan in place for the location should be checked and source water protection committee representative should be consulted to determine what policies apply or what protective measures will be required.
[[File:SPZ signage.jpg|thumb|300px|A road sign to alert motorists that they are entering a provincially protected Drinking Water Protection Zone (SWPZ) to help raise awareness (Photo Source: Conservation Ontario, 2018)<ref>Conservation Ontario. 2018. SWP Education & Outreach - Road Signage (English). Accessed 31 May 2022. https://conservationontario.ca/resources?tx_fefiles_files%5Baction%5D=show&tx_fefiles_files%5Bcontroller%5D=File&tx_fefiles_files%5Bfile%5D=389&cHash=88b06a201529f054e0a87582376f6c2a</ref>]]
[[File:SPZ signage.jpg|thumb|300px|A road sign to alert motorists that they are entering a provincially protected Drinking Water Protection Zone (SWPZ) to help raise awareness (Photo Source: Conservation Ontario, 2018)<ref>Conservation Ontario. 2018. SWP Education & Outreach - Road Signage (English). Accessed 31 May 2022. https://conservationontario.ca/resources?tx_fefiles_files%5Baction%5D=show&tx_fefiles_files%5Bcontroller%5D=File&tx_fefiles_files%5Bfile%5D=389&cHash=88b06a201529f054e0a87582376f6c2a</ref>]]