In the Town of Orangeville, the source of our drinking water is groundwater. In order to ensure that our water source is safe and sustainable, we need to take certain protective measures. Review our Source Protection Plan to learn about how we protect our drinking water sources.
Where does Orangeville's drinking water come from?
The Town relies on 12 wells to supply groundwater for us to drink. Groundwater comes from rain or snow that seeps below the ground's surface and pools in the cracks and spaces in the soil, sand and rock. These underground sources of water are known as aquifers. Protecting our drinking water aquifers from pollution makes it easier and less expensive to treat water before delivering it to our taps.
Application and guidelines
If your property is located in a vulnerable area, you may require a Risk Management Plan or additional approvals to perform certain actions on your property. Review our source protection applications and guidelines for more information.
Vulnerable Areas |
||||
The area around a municipal well is identified as a source protection vulnerable area. Vulnerable areas supply water to our municipal wells. Everyone must use extra care when undertaking activities in these areas because it could directly impact the quality and long-term availability of our drinking water.
|
||||
Wellhead protection areas |
||||
There are two key types of vulnerable areas in Orangeville:
|
Protecting our water source
Learn how you can help protect our water source. See what steps you can take to reduce water contamination and overuse.
Chemical storage and handling |
||||||||
Many individuals and businesses use chemicals on a daily basis. It is important to ensure that chemicals are always handled, stored and disposed of responsibly so that they don't impact the drinking water supply in the Town of Orangeville. Storing chemicalsYou can prevent harmful chemical spills and leaks by practicing proper storage techniques:
You should also have a spill kit on site and train employees on how to safely clean a chemical spill. Disposing of chemicalsIf you use a hazardous chemical product, it is important that you dispose of the chemical safely so that it doesn't contaminate our drinking water. You should always use a local hazardous waste disposal site for safe disposal. Make sure you don't dispose of hazardous liquids into:
Finding alternativesYou can avoid or minimize the use of hazardous chemicals by choosing alternative products that are naturally occurring or water based. When selecting a product, you should:
Harmful chemicals and productsDense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquids (DNAPLs) are a special class of chemicals that are particularly hazardous to our health and drinking water sources. These chemicals can sink into and contaminate ground water systems even with a minor spill. Types of DNAPLs include:
|
||||||||
Fertilizer |
||||||||
Fertilizer provides nutrients for plant growth. However, when it is used in excess or applied incorrectly, it can harm the quality of our drinking water sources. Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are the two key components of fertilizer that can lead to pollution of local water resources. Applying fertilizerIn order to limit the environmental impact of fertilizer, it is important that you apply fertilizer correctly. You should:
Reduce excess fertilizerTake steps to reduce excess fertilizer use:
Fertilizer handling and storage tipsMake sure to read and follow the manufacturer's instructions for proper handling and storage techniques. You should always:
Check out Lake Superior Streams for more information about proper fertilizer use and storage. |
||||||||
Fuel storage and handling |
||||||||
Fuel and fuel storage systems contain hazardous chemicals which if released into the environment can threaten drinking water supplies. A fuel spill or leak that contaminates water supplies is a risk to our health and the health of our community. Report fuel leaks and spillsIf you own a fuel tank, you are responsible to for reporting all fuel leaks and spills to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment Spills Action Centre. Storage tipsTo protect our water source from potential fuel leaks, follow these fuel storage tips:
Cleaning a spillMake sure that you train your employees on how to prevent, contain and immediately clean-up fuel spills. You should also have a spill kit close to the tank for any potential spills. |
||||||||
Hazardous waste |
||||||||
Hazardous wastes are harmful to human health and a small spill or leak could contaminate water supplies. It's important to ensure we properly store and dispose of hazardous materials so that they do not make their way into the environment and negatively impact our land and water. Disposing hazardous wasteTake action to safely dispose of hazardous waste:
Storing and handling hazardous wasteThe best way to prevent contamination from hazardous waste is by using non-hazardous products. Consider switching products to something less harmful. If you are using hazardous products, please follow these storing and handling tips:
Common hazardous waste productsHazardous waste products are quite common in many household and businesses. Here are some common household hazardous waste products:
Review the following businesses also produce hazardous waste materials:
|
||||||||
Urbanization and land development |
||||||||
The Town of Orangeville relies on groundwater for drinking water. As the Town becomes more urbanized, more precipitation is directed to storm sewers (run-off) and less rainfall is able to soak into the ground to recharge the groundwater system. This increase in run-off can reduce the available drinking water supply. Low Impact Development strategiesLow Impact Development (LID), is a way to manage rainfall run-off by using landscaping and design strategies. These practices help improve water quality, reduce the risk of flooding and help recharge our groundwater.
|
||||||||
Road salt |
||||||||
Road salt keeps us safe in winter but too much can impact the quality of our drinking water, harm vegetation and wildlife, and deteriorate infrastructure. Responsible road salt management can help reduce the negative environmental impacts of road salt and preserve the quality of drinking water. Responsible saltingIt is important that we take action to manage road salt responsibly and protect the Town of Orangeville's drinking water supplies. Follow these salting tips for winter maintenance:
Salt management for commercial and industrial propertiesIf you own a commercial or industrial property, please use the following salt management tips:
|
||||||||
Septic systems |
||||||||
Septic systems are wastewater treatment units used by landowners who are not connected to the municipal wastewater system. When operated and maintained responsibly, septic systems are a safe and reliable way of treating household wastewater. However, if not properly maintained, septic systems could fail and contaminate nearby drinking water sources. Septic system inspectionsIf your septic system is within 100 metres of a municipal drinking water well, your system will need to be inspected by Town staff every five years. We will contact property owners to book an inspection. Maintaining your septic systemHere are a few things that you can do to protect your septic system and the environment:
Signs your septic needs maintenanceReview the following signs to see if your septic needs some maintenance:
|
Source protection science
Review the Assessment Report for the Credit Valley Source Protection Area. This document includes the scientific information that the Source Protection Plan and policies are based on, including:
- description of the local watershed and water supplies
- identification of vulnerable areas around well supplies and where drinking water sources are most sensitive to contamination and depletion
- identification of the number and types of drinking water threats
- calculation of a budget to assess local water demand versus available supply