Public asked to help guide plan for safe water in York Region

Public asked to help guide plan for safe water in York Region

Regional News

By: Jessica Young

If Ilmar Simanovskis had his way, he’d send residents near watersheds back to school to better understand the land they live on.

Mr. Simanovskis is the York Region representative for the source water protection committee and he says the best way to protect clean drinking water is to keep the public educated.

“They should participate where they can and educate themselves on what is going on,” he said. “Help to be a part of the solution. At the end of the day it’s the individuals that can make a change, not us.”

This spring the committee for the 10,700 km South Georgian Bay-Lake Simcoe Watershed Region is asking the public for input on protecting and maintaining clean drinking water.  

The committee is part of developing public policies to protect municipal drinking water, public committee member Dianne Corrigan said.

In sensitive water shed areas there are a variety of potential risks that can effect the quality of local drinking water. Well heads, intake zones which are pipes in the lake that pull water in and recharge areas such as sandy, hilly areas, are three areas they are concentrating on because of their potential for contamination.

Businesses, such as gas stations and dry cleaners which use hazardous chemicals are also a concern of the committee, deemed as risks to drinking water. But it’s not just companies needing to be more mindful of contaminating water, but residents as well, Mr. Simanovskis said.

“If you have a septic system and you live close to a municipal well, think about what you put in your drains because that ends up in ground water,” he said.

Ontario has identified 19 water shed regions for source water protection, Don Goodyear said, the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority’s source water protection manager.

His organization hosts a variety of public awareness programs to help residents become more knowledgeable on water.  The community meetings let residents know where water comes from, where water goes and how the public can help provide a safe water supply.

York Region water earned an overall 99.3-per cent rating for quality in the Ontario Ministry of the Environment’s chief drinking water inspector’s annual report. Ministry of Environment officials took 2,390 separate tests on wells, water treatment facilities and distribution systems in the area. Of those tests, 14 items were considered non-compliant, none of which threatened the health and safety of residents, the region said.

All 14 concerns have been resolved. 

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