South Georgian Bay-Lake Simcoe watershed region receives $629,152 from McGuinty Government for Source Water Protection
The South Georgian Bay- Lake Simcoe watershed region will receive an additional $629,152 in funding from the Province to complete studies on local drinking water systems.

From 2004 - 2008, the McGuinty Government has committed approximately $120 million to fund source protection planning costs. The funding helps local communities get an accurate picture of their water supply, determine how it replenishes itself and what threatens the quality of their water so they can take action to reduce or eliminate these threats.

The current funding is;

- $10.6 million to conservation authorities to hire staff and develop other resources so they can begin working with local communities to develop source water protection plans

- $5.68 million to conservation authorities to analyze water quantities available in watersheds

- $18.5 million in grants to municipalities and conservation authorities to undertake technical studies to determine the vulnerable zones for their drinking water supplies and to evaluate the threats in these areas. This funding will start flowing in February 2007

Conservation Authorities received $16.5 million last year and more than $12,5 million in 2004. Close to $10 million in grants went to municipalities and conservation authorities for technical studies last year.

The Clean Water Act was created as part of the government's commitment to implement all of the recommendations of the Walkerton inquiry. The legislation directly addresses 12 and supports the implementation of 22 recommendations of the inquiry on protection drinking water at its source, made in part 2 of the report. To date, 86 of the 121 recommendations have been met.