Clean Water Act

The Clean Water Act, Bill 43, was passed by the Ontario Legislature on October 18, 2006, and lays out how Drinking Water Source Protection will be carried out in Ontario.

For more information on the Clean Water Act, please visit the Ministry of the Environment website. As well, information on Source Protection Plans is available from the Ministry of the Environment.

Additional information is available on the Conservation Ontario website. Drinking Water Ontario is a web portal run by the Ministry of the Environment with information on Ontario's drinking water.

Regulations under the Clean Water Act:
Ontario Regulation 284/07 (Source Protection Areas and Regions)
          (http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/regs/english/elaws_regs_070284_e.htm)

Ontario Regulation 287/07 (General)
          (http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/regs/english/elaws_regs_070287_e.htm)

Ontario Regulation 288/07 (Source Protection Committees)
          (http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/regs/english/elaws_regs_070288_e.htm)

Ontario Regulation 231/07 (Service of Documents)
          (http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/regs/english/elaws_regs_070231_e.htm)

The Clean Water Act and Source Water Protection:
The Clean Water Act is related to other activities to protect sources of drinking water. Reports and other information from the Ministry of the Environment related to protecting water at the source can be viewed at the Watershed-based Source Protection page.

Drinking Water Stewardship Fund:
The act creates a drinking water support program to help farmers and small rural businesses take action to reduce threats to local drinking water sources. View the current information about the Ontario Drinking Water Stewardship Program.

How does Source Protection planning work?
A series of fact sheets explores the roles and responsibilities, implementation and other aspects of the Clean Water Act.

Passing of the Clean Water Act:
A comprehensive webpage with the text of the Act and links to the legislative debates, Standing Committee hearings and Royal Assent can be found on the Legislative Assembly website.
View the Saugeen Conservation submission to the Standing Committee.

View the Environmental Registry postings on proposed regulations.
    Initial discussion paper (Dec. 2005)
    Source Protection Committees - discussion paper (Jan. 2007)
    First phase of regulations under the Clean Water Act, 2006 (July 2007)
    Final Report of the Advisory Panel on the Ontario Drinking Water Stewardship Program (July 2007)
    Requirements for the Ontario Drinking Water Stewardship Program and Property Entry Training (July 2008)
    Assessment Reports regulation made under the Clean Water Act, 2006 (Nov. 2008)
    Definitions of Words and Expressions Used in the Act regulation made under the Clean Water Act, 2006 (Nov. 2008)
    Technical rules related to the preparation of an assessment report (Nov. 2008).