The Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Source Protection Region has posted a notice of proposed amendments to assessment reports and source protection plans for the Maitland Valley and Ausable Bayfield source protection areas. The local source protection authority is proposing the amendments to reflect recent changes in six area well systems: Benmiller, Blyth, Dungannon, Molesworth, Ripley, and Varna. A revision to two policies is also proposed. The source protection authority issued the notice on January 3, 2018.

People can review and inspect the changes and provide written comments to the source protection authority until February 8, 2018. You are invited to review the proposed amendments and the new mapping on the Internet at www.sourcewaterinfo.on.ca.

“As local municipalities add wells, or decommission wells, there is a need to reflect these changes in the assessment reports, wellhead protection area mapping, and source protection plans,” said Geoffrey Cade, Program Supervisor with the Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Source Protection Region. “When wells are added, this may result in some additional properties being included in source protection planning policies.”

The Program Supervisor said that, in cases where municipal wells are no longer in place, some properties may be removed from previously mapped wellhead protection areas. “In those cases, source protection planning policies would no longer be in effect for those properties,” he said.

Interested people may attend public open houses to ask questions at the following locations:

• Blyth, Monday, January 22, 2018, from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., Blyth and District Community Centre, 377 Gypsy Lane.
• Varna, Tuesday, January 23, 2018, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Stanley Community Centre/Stanley Complex, 38594 Mill Road.

You are invited to review and inspect the proposed amendments in person at the source protection authority offices during regular business hours at the following locations: Maitland Conservation, 1093 Marietta Street, Wroxeter, 519-335-3557; or Ausable Bayfield Conservation, 71108 Morrison Line, RR 3 Exeter, 519-235-2610.

If you would like to submit written comments about the proposed amendments and policy changes, you may submit those comments, by February 8, 2018 to: Ausable Bayfield Source Protection Authority, on behalf of Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Source Protection Region, 71108 Morrison Line, RR 3 Exeter, ON, N0M 1S5. You are also invited to email your written comments to: info@sourcewaterinfo.on.ca

To find out more about wellhead protection areas, activities that may be considered a possible significant threat to drinking water, and source protection plan policies and mapping, visitsourcewaterinfo.on.ca and ontario.ca.

MEDIA CONTACT:  Geoffrey Cade, Program Supervisor, Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley (ABMV) Source Protection Region, 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610, extension 222.