One of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement’s objectives is to make sure that the lakes are a source of safe, high-quality drinking water. The safer that source water is, the less money and effort needed by local utilities for treatment. To inform people who consume Great Lakes water, Canada and the US have rules on the books requiring water utilities to report on the quality of the drinking water they provide. Read More
The IJC’s primary role under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement is to determine and report on the effectiveness of progress by Canada and the United States to restore and protect the Great Lakes. This includes obtaining public input on that progress and recommending further actions the two countries should take. Read More
Cities and other communities tend to disrupt the natural water cycle of an area. In natural environments, water falls as precipitation, seeps into the soil and eventually enters the groundwater system, connecting to surface-level waterways. When an area has been developed, more water runs off of hard surfaces like pavement and roofs into storm sewer systems before being dumped into a river or lake, along with any garbage and contaminants like oil or grease carried along by the water. Read More
Rain barrels are a way to capture precipitation and keep it from becoming runoff. Credit: Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District
Risk management officials and landowners working together. Credit: Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority, Quinte Region Conservation Authority
By Chitra Gowda, Conservation Ontario
Ontario’s 2006 Clean Water Act is part of the province’s multi-barrier approach to ensure clean, safe and sustainable drinking water by protecting sources including lakes, rivers and wells. Under this legislation, the drinking water source protection program was established with funding from the Ontario government. Read More
By Amy Yang, Howard Tong, Gunjan Desai, Carlos Manzo
University of Waterloo
A fourth-year environmental engineering design project from the University of Waterloo examined the implications for one community by investigating how the toxin can be further treated in a drinking water treatment plant. Read More
Algal blooms on western Lake Erie during August 2015. Credit: NOAA
Groundwater sources throughout the Great Lakes basin need to be better monitored and mapped. The work is needed to determine how quickly the sources recharge and the potential impact that contaminants in groundwater could have on water quality in the basin. Read More
Lake Superior as seen from Batchawana Bay, Ontario. Credit: Scudder Mackey
Having a road map and plan for protecting and restoring a lake and its watershed can be incredibly helpful. They can show how the lake is recovering and in what ways, and suggest additional work to help improve things. Lakewide Action and Management Plans (LAMPs) compile the state of a specific lake using a variety of studies, alongside public input and data from state, provincial, tribal, First Nation, federal and non-government sources. Read More
European water chestnut is an invasive species that Ontario hopes to combat with the help of a new invasive species law. Credit: Mike Naylor, Maryland Department of Natural Resources
By Kevin Bunch, IJC
Ontario has the largest number of invasive species in Canada, with more than 180 aquatic invasive species, around 500 non-native plants, 39 known forest insects and 10 tree diseases. Officials now have a new tool to try and keep those numbers from ticking upwards.
On Nov. 3, a new Ontario’s Invasive Species Act goes into effect, giving officials in the province a stronger mandate to prevent new species from arriving and to control – and where possible, eradicate – those that are already here. Read More
