An Assessment Report collects and analyzes technical information about local drinking water. The focus is studying municipal drinking water systems (municipal wells and intakes) and identifying:

• Vulnerable Areas – areas around the wells and intakes where the source of drinking water could be vulnerable to contamination
• Drinking Water Threats – activities on properties in these vulnerable areas that could contaminate the source of water.

Engineering consultants who specialize in hydrogeology completed most of the technical work. Nearly all components underwent peer review by a neutral third party consultant in the same field.

Next Step

In vulnerable areas, particular care must be taken when using and storing materials that could contaminate water. The Assessment Report will identify activities that pose a low, moderate or significant drinking water threat in vulnerable areas. A Source Protection Plan must be written by 2012 outlining how to reduce the risk posed by significant threats and how to prevent new ones.

Six open houses were held in June and July, 2009 to present draft groundwater findings to local residents. Five open houses will be held in March and April, 2010 to do the same with draft surface water findings. People are encouraged to comment on the draft findings at these open houses or provide written comments to staff. The Source Protection Committee considers this feedback before they approve findings to be included in the draft Assessment Report.

March 22 & 31, 2010 – Ottawa Open Houses
Two open houses will be held in Ottawa to present draft technical findings to local residents. Attend and find out where Ottawa’s municipal drinking water comes from within the Ottawa River, where this section of the river could be vulnerable to contamination, what land uses pose a contamination threat and what types of policies could be enforced on adjacent lands to protect Ottawa’s source of drinking water. We welcome your comments at the open houses or in writing by April 16, 2010.

• view draft study findings
• view open house details

June 2010 – draft Assessment Report In June a draft Assessment Report will be posted for a 35 day comment period. Two public meetings will be held and written comments will be welcomed. The Committee will review this feedback and consider modifying the Assessment Report accordingly. This is the version that will be submitted to the Province for approval.

August 2010 – proposed Assessment Report Before submitting the proposed Assessment Report to the province, it will be posted for a 30 day comment period. All comments received will be forwarded to the province for their consideration prior to approving the report.

Below is a list of the technical information that must be included in an Assessment Report. Below each component you can download a summary of draft findings that our Committee is considering including in their draft Assessment Report. Each summary includes a description of what was studied, how it was studied and the results.

Questions or comments - Please contact Sommer Casgrain-Robertson at 613-692-3571 / 800-267-3504 ext. 1147 or sommer.robertson@mrsourcewater.ca

Water Budget
• Conceptual and Tier 1 water budget (1MB)

Groundwater

Wellhead Protection Areas (municipal wells):

• Almonte (1 MB)
• Carp (800 KB)
• Kemptville (4 MB)
• Lanark Village — coming spring 2011
• Merrickville (3 MB)
• Munster (2 MB)
• Richmond (2 MB)
• Westport (800 KB)
• Significant Threats Table — referenced in above summaries (170 KB)

Regional Groundwater

• Highly Vulnerable Aquifers (1 MB)
• Significant Groundwater Recharge Areas (1 MB)

Threats and Issues

• Groundwater Threats and Issues Inventory — coming April 2010

Surface Water

Intake Protection Zones (municipal intakes):

• Carleton Place — coming April 2010
• Ottawa - Britannia and Lemieux Island (3 MB) Open Houses March 22 & 31, 2010
• Perth – coming April 2010
• Smiths Falls — coming April 2010
• Significant Threats Table – referenced in above summaries (100 KB)

Threats and Issues:

• Surface Water Threats and Issues Inventory — coming May 2010

Climate Change

• Climate Change review (160 KB)