It seems council here is opting for a source water protection plan being prepared by the committee representing the Ausable Bayfield and Maitland Valley Conservation Authorities.
The provincial government is spending an estimated $270 million to develop source water protection plans across the province in the wake of the 2000 Walkerton water tragedy, which claimed seven lives due to e-coli contamination of the town’s drinking water. Two source water protection committees, both with jurisdiction in parts of Minto have had ongoing discussions about what local plans might involve.
The Ausable Bayfield/Maitland Valley Conservation Authority source protection committee’s plan could apply to drinking water sources in Harriston, Palmerston and rural areas around them. Clifford and Minto Pines fall under the jurisdiction of the Saugeen Grey Sauble North Peninsula source protection committee.
Council has raised concerns about the potential cost of implementing the plan in the municipality and, at its April 17 meeting, decided, based on a report from chief administrative officer Bill White, to further explore the plan presented by the Ausable Bayfield/Maitland group.
White told council that plan seems less inclusive with its 60-pages, compared to a 700-page plan coming from Saugeen.
“One significant difference is the Saugeen plan assigns education (on the new policies) and outreach to the conservation authority. The Maitland plan assigns education and outreach programs to local municipalities,” White said in his report.
“The Maitland plan is slightly less complex but still contains a number of cross references to pieces of legislation that will make implementation a huge challenge.”
Among the concerns raised about the Maitland plan is for farms located within a “red area” or close to a municipal water source be required to hook up to municipal sewers within three years of the plan coming into place. White also pointed out the implementation of the source protection plan will have considerable impact on water users.
Ausable Bayfield planner Jenna Allain presented council, at its March 20 meeting, with an update of how the plan may look when it is finally approved. In 2007 the province set up 40 source water protection regions governed by 19 committees.
The committees have been meeting to discuss and map source water locations, potential threats, ways to rank the sources and avoid pollution and ways to remedy possible spills. Minto council will also have a choice of which plan of the two it adopts.
Policy development has been underway since 2011. Minto council had its first look at the plan in late February. A proposed plan is expected to go out for public consultation in May, with a final plan submission to the province expected in August.
The plan implementation is expected starting next year and will include monitoring and reporting on an annual basis and updates and improvements as required.
The Ausable Bayfield/Maitland plan, according to Allain, is expected to impact land use planning decisions depending on the final report requirements.
“No new residential lots will be approved unless they have sanitary service,” she predicted. “Land use planning decisions must conform once the plan takes affect.”
What has councillors concerned is the potential cost of implementing the plan in Minto and the possible requirement for a full-time staff position to oversee it.
Municipalities, including Minto, have been lobbying the provincial government to see whether it will fund any additional local costs when the plan is put out.
White recommended, advising “the Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Region and Saugeen Grey Sauble North Bruce Peninsula Protection regions that the town requests the source protection plan for the Maitland Valley source protection area apply to the lands within the boundary of the Town of Minto” and that comments be forwarded to the Maitland Valley committee to facilitate revisions.
Council agreed.
