Clean Water Act: Funding for Early Actions

Working in Partnership with the Ministry of the Environment

• Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Source Protection Region
• CTC Source Protection Region
• Cataraqui Region Source Protection Area
• Essex Region Source Protection Area
• Halton-Hamilton Source Protection Region
• Lakehead Source Protection Area (Education and Outreach only)
• Lake Erie Source Protection Region*
• Mattagami Region Source Protection Area (Education and Outreach only)
• Missippi-Rideau Source Protection Region
• Niagara Peninsula Source Protection Area
• North Bay-Mattawa Source Protection Region
• Quinte Source Protection Region*
• Raisin Region South Nation Source Protection Region*
• Saugeen, Grey Sauble, Northern Bruce Peninsula Source Protection Region*
• Sault Ste Marie Source Protection Area
• South Georgian Bay Lake Simcoe Source Protection Region
• Sudbury Source Protection Area
• Thames Sydenham Source Protection Region
• Trent Conservation Coalition Source Protection Region
• Conservation Ontario (Education and Outreach and Special Projects Funding)

* Indicates Special Projects Funding as well

Stay tuned and return frequently for updated links!

About Clean Water Act Funding
Clean Water Act funding will be provided by the Ministry of the Environment to partner with Conservation Authorities in two phases.  The first is the Source Protection Program, a transitional program in which $7 million is being made available in 2007-2008.  The second is the Ontario Drinking Water Stewardship Program, where $21 million will be made available over three years starting in the spring of 2008 through to spring of 2011.

Early Actions funding to protect municipal drinking water sources
Of the $7 million available in 2007-2008, $5 million will support early actions to protect municipal drinking water sources, namely municipal wellheads and municipal surface water intakes. Specifically, this funding will be available for the following five priorities:

Decommissioning unused wells and upgrading of existing wells Decommissioning unused wells, including the testing, monitoring, and technical work on water wells, and upgrading drinking water wells, may prevent these wells and poorly maintained wellheads from becoming pollutant pathways to municipal drinking water sources. 

Septic systems inspections and upgrades
The septic program will provide funding for the repair, upgrade, or replacement of faulty or malfunctioning septic systems that are located within or extend into the 100 metre radius of a municipal wellhead or a 200 metre radius of a municipal surface water intake. 

Runoff and erosion protection
The purpose of the runoff and erosion protection program is to protect municipal drinking water sources from runoff contamination and soil erosion through properly restoring buffer strips and riparian zones.  Funding will be available to eligible registered farmers and all other landowners that are located within or extend into the 100 metre radius of a municipal wellhead or a 200 metre radius of a municipal surface water intake. 

Pollution prevention reviews aimed at better management of materials storage, handling, and disposal
Pollution prevention reviews will be made available to small and medium-sized businesses that are located within or extend into the 100 metre radius of a municipal wellhead or a 200 metre radius of a municipal surface water intake.  These audits will be available to businesses that manufacture, handle, store, and dispose of materials into water, land, or air, and will identify threats to sources of municipal drinking water.

MOE Guidance and Application Forms
More Information (Program brochure in pdf)
Source Protection Program 2007-2008 Outreach and Education Toolkit