SOURCE PROTECTION PLANNING

Building Trust & Partnership between Biosolids Generating and Receiving Communities Seminar

December 7, 2005

Heather Malcolmson, Manager, Source Protection PlanningDrinking Water Program Management Branch

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Source Protection: A Risk Management Approach to

Protecting Drinking Water

• How does legislation propose a source protection plan be developed.

• What does this mean to the application of biosolids.

• How can you provide input into how biosolids are addressed through Source Protection.

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Creating a legacy of prevention• The Ontario government is committed to developing the most

comprehensive water-protection program in North America• “We are protecting the quality and quantity of our drinking water for future

generations.” • Source protection is the first stage in a multi-barrier approach to ensure the

quality and quantity of our water resources in order to:– Safeguard human health– Help maintain and enhance the ecological, recreational and commercial

values of our water resources• The government established the two multi-stakeholder expert source

protection committees, the Implementation (IC) and Technical Experts (TEC) committees, who have provided advice to the province on the development of provincial policies for watershed-based source protection planning.

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Implementing Source Water Protection: Core Principles

Based on our progress to date the following principles form thefoundation for our road map:• Collaboration/partnerships: shared responsibility• Public participation and transparency• Sustainability and continuous improvement• Comprehensiveness, coordination, integration• Clear Accountability + effective decision making• Information sharing and management• A precautionary, risk-based approach• Cost effectiveness and fairness• Pragmatism: We want a results-based approach that works!

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Developing a Source Protection Plan• The key elements of the process are:

– Watershed Characterization– Issues Identification/Threats Inventory– Risk Assessment/Categorization

– Risk Management Objectives– Risk Management Plan– Implementation Plan

• The public is consulted throughout the process and each report is subject to review and approval by the Minister of the Environment.

Assessment Report

Source Protection Plan

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The Threats Assessment Framework

Framework to develop the Assessment Report.

RISK ANALYSIS

MANDATORY RISK REDUCTION

RM ACTION : SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE THE RISK

RM Actions must significantly reduce the risk posed to drinking water

WATERSHED CHARACTERIZATION(Entire watershed)

THREATS INVENTORY

THREATS OF PROVINCIAL OTHER THREATS ISSUES IDENTIFICATIONCONCERN IDENTIFIED (Entire Watershed)

(WHPA, IPZ, Other Vulnerable (Entire Watershed)Areas)

Significant Risks Moderate Risks Low Risks

Threats Assessment

RISKS TO BE MANAGED

RM ACTION: DO NOT PERMIT RISK TO INCREASE & REDUCE RISK WHERE FEASIBLE

Risks need to be ‘actively managed” to ensure that they do not become “Significant risks”

RISKS TO BE MONITORED

RM ACTION; PREVENT DEGRADATION AND PROMOTE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Risks not requiring mitigation are monitored

Vulnerability Assessment NEGLIGIBLE

RISK* – no further action

required

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Progress by 2008

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Collection of additional information, and reanalysis where needed

*Threats of Provincial Concern can not be discarded as Negligible Risk

RISK ANALYSIS

MANDATORY RISK REDUCTION

RM ACTION : SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE THE RISK

RM Actions must significantly reduce the risk posed to drinking water

WATERSHED CHARACTERIZATION(Entire watershed)

THREATS INVENTORY

THREATS OF PROVINCIAL OTHER THREATS ISSUES IDENTIFICATIONCONCERN IDENTIFIED (Entire Watershed)

(WHPA, IPZ, Other Vulnerable (Entire Watershed)Areas)

Significant Risks Moderate Risks Low Risks

Threats Assessment

RISKS TO BE MANAGED

RM ACTION: DO NOT PERMIT RISK TO INCREASE & REDUCE RISK WHERE FEASIBLE

Risks need to be ‘actively managed” to ensure that they do not become “Significant risks”

RISKS TO BE MONITORED

RM ACTION; PREVENT DEGRADATION AND PROMOTE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Risks not requiring mitigation are monitored

Vulnerability Assessment NEGLIGIBLE

RISK* – no further action

required

RIS

K M

AN

AG

EM

EN

T

& P

RIO

RIT

Y S

ET

TIN

G

RIS

K A

SS

ES

SM

EN

T

Progress by 2008

RIS

K

IDE

NT

IFIC

AT

ION

RIS

K

CA

TE

GO

RY

RIS

K

AN

ALY

SIS

Collection of additional information, and reanalysis where needed

*Threats of Provincial Concern can not be discarded as Negligible Risk

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The Assessment Report:

Watershed Characterization

• Watershed Characterization contains four major sub-elements – watershed watershed description, water budgets, water quality conditions, description, water budgets, water quality conditions, and protection protection area delineationarea delineation. – The watershed description will compile available background information (e.g.

physical characteristics, population distribution, land uses) to provide context for source protection planning

– Water budgets identify water resources, compare uses, and withdrawals to identify where cumulative water withdrawals, current or future, pose a risk to the sustainability of drinking water supplies

– Water Quality: Trends in surface and groundwater sources are documented to establish baselines and identify potential water quality issues

– Protection area delineation uses scientific models and analysis to identify designated vulnerable areas and set out drinking water protection areas: Wellhead Protection Areas, Intake Protection Zones, Highly Vulnerable Areas, Areas of Significant Recharge

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The Assessment Report

Issues Identification/Threat Inventory• This step involves identification of threats to drinking water sources and existing

watershed issues that may have an impact on drinking water quality

• The goal is to generate a list of all of the threats and issues that will need to be assessed to determine their level of risk to drinking water sources

Proposed Approach:Proposed Approach:• MOE will work to develop a provincial threats database that will identify common threats

to drinking water sources and contain generic hazard information

• Province will identify a set of “Threats of Provincial Concern” that must be inventoried and identified within designated vulnerable areas.

• Local committees would use the provincial database to guide the identification of threats present in the designated vulnerable areas; threats would be mapped using GIS.

• MOE will work to develop guidelines on microbiological characterization to be used by local committees

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The Assessment Report

Risk Assessment • For each issue/threat identified, the committee analyzes the

quantity, severity, irreversibility, and magnitude of the threat

• The committee also assesses the vulnerability of the drinking water source to the impacts of the issue/threat.– i.e. can the threat/issue get to the drinking water?

• Using this information, the committee determines how much risk is posed by the threat/issue.

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The Assessment Report

Risk Categorization

• MOE to develop a science-based, semi-quantitative approach to assess and categorize risks

• The assessment process will place risks into one of 4 risk categories:– Significant Risk, Moderate Risk, Low Risk, Negligible Risk– Threats of Provincial concern should not be categorized as Negligible Risk

• Benchmarks and guidance for local committees on how to categorize risks would be provided by the province

• Information in the provincial Threats Inventory will provide data for initial assessment, supplemented by information collected locally

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The Source Protection Plan• Risk management options for reducing risks are identified/ developed,

evaluated and chosen by the committee• Plans indicate who will implement what, and when implementation will occur

Proposed Approach:Proposed Approach:• Legislation to require that Significant Risks be substantially reduced in a

timely fashion• Province will develop guidance on how significant risks could be managed,

including developing new Best Management Practices where needed• For significant risks, implementation of measures to reduce risks will be

mandatory; for moderate risks or low risks, it is expected the committee will implement actions that will achieve the objectives identified, as soon as feasible

• MOE will work with partners to develop BMPs for common threats to drinking water

• The Crown (MOE, MNR, MMAH, OMAF and their sectors) will facilitate sharing of Risk Management practices between watersheds

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What does this all mean for the application of biosolids?

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Source Water Protection & Biosolids• At watershed scale “risk based approach” will be used to protect

drinking water sources.– Low to No risk:

• Source Protection Plan would not impose additional restrictions on biosolids application. Education and outreach continues to promote BMPs

– Moderate Risk:• Source Protection Plan would require monitoring of threat, for example

pathogens, to ensure the risk is not increasing.

– Significant Risk• Mandatory Risk Management Measures• Risk Management measures are to be determined through consultation with

the regulated community, ongoing research, and the province.• In many cases it may just mean implement BMPs, eliminate pathogens,

setbacks.• In some areas application of biosolids may not be appropriate (100 m zone).

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Source Water Protection & Biosolids

How can you help:• Provide input into the process – How do we reduce

pathogen risk?• Process is outcome based - lower the risk of pathogens

impacting drinking water. • What are the risk management measures.

– Heat treatment– Composting– Don’t apply it– ????

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Thanks !

Questions?

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Source Protection Board (SPB)• SPB = CA Board • Establishes SPC, recommends plan to MOE for approval

Working Groups• set up by SPC to coordinate sector

input and consultations (e.g. agriculture, industry)

Source Protection Committee (SPC)•Oversees development of plan•Establishes working groups•Encourages public participation•Ensures scientific accuracy

Assessment Report

Watershed Characterization

Terms of Reference• High level goals/objectives• Set in regulation

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3

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Source Protection Plan• details of how risks to drinking water

sources will be managed, who will participate, and how progress will be monitored

To MOE via SPB

To MOE via SPB

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Issues/ Threats Identification Risk Assessment

Source Protection Planning – the Road MapImplementation• Local authorities put the plan into action

7MOEApproves Source Protection plan

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