Town to review water protection

August 31, 2013 · 0 Comments

As part of its regular Official Plan review, the Town of Shelburne will be examining potential threats to its water sources.

The OP review is funded through Development Charges. The source water protection measures to be undertaken would be partially covered through a $13.5-million fund that’s being made available to small municipalities over a period of three years, but it’s not clear how the funding applies.

“We hope to have more information on how it applies,” said CAO John Telfer in an interview.

In Shelburne, the source water protection plan of the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority would apply. Other parts of the county would be covered by Credit Valley Conservation, Grand River Conservation Authority, and possibly one of the Saugeen River authorities to a lesser extent.

According to a report from town planner Steve Wever, NVCA has identified potentially 37 threats to the water supply. These are not likely imminent but they would dictate development controls within a prescribed distance of wells.

There are hazard ratings for such things as septic tanks and industrial developments, etc. Some examples were given in a report for the Grand River study, which has been ongoing:

“A solvent is stored in a tank close to a river intake. If the tank were to leak, the chemical could get to the intake in a short period of time. The chemical has a hazard rating of 9. The vulnerability score for the intake is 10. The risk score (hazard x vulnerability) would be 90, making it a significant threat.

“A home located near a municipal well has septic system. There is the possibility that the system could leak and raw sewage could reach the well. The area has a vulnerability score of 10 and the sewage has a hazard rating of 10. The result is a risk score of 100 making the septic system a significant threat.

“A farmer spreads manure on his fields to fertilize them. There is a municipal well on the property next door. The vulnerability score for the farmer’s land is 10. The hazard rating for manure is 8. The result is a risk score of 80, making it a significant threat,” according to the example in the report.

The OP review is required every five years. For Shelburne it takes into account the so-called “urban” or “built” boundary changes as well as the Dufferin County growth plan, among other things.

By Wes Keller