Do you have an interest to the updates to the Source Protection Plan
Property owners are invited to review the proposed updates and submit comments by March 1, 2026
https://nbmca.ca/waters.../drinking-water-source-protection/
Is your property located partially or fully within the Drinking Water Source Protection (DWSP) Area under the Clean Water Act, 2006. This Act is part of Ontario’s multi-barrier approach to protecting municipal drinking water sources (lakes, rivers, and wells) to ensure clean, safe, and sustainable drinking water.
Proposed Source Protection Plan Updates:
• Updated mapping of watercourses and wetlands• Revised policies• New policies for fertilizer and nutrient management
Policies addressing liquid hydrocarbon pipelines
• Requirements for municipalities to report drainage changes that may affect how quickly contaminants reach water intakes.
DWSP team will work with Municipalities to further develop education and outreach programs.This is currently part of a public consultation process. Property owners are invited to review the proposed updates and submit comments by March 1, 2026.
Mandatory Maintenance Inspections (MMI)If you have a septic system within the vulnerable area, it would be subject to a Mandatory Maintenance Inspection every five years, as required by provincial legislation.These inspections are visual and non-intrusive, intended to confirm the system appears to be functioning properly and not showing signs of failure.
Under the Clean Water Act, all on-site sewage systems within the Callander Issue Contributing Area and some properties within the Powassan Wellhead Protection Area must undergo mandatory inspections. The Ontario Building Code and Building Code Act designate the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority (NBMCA) as the agency responsible for conducting inspections in this jurisdiction.
The $300 inspection fee supports:
• Staff training and provincial certification
• Inspector time and site visits
• Administrative processing and scheduling
• Planning and record management
• Data tracking and reporting
• Equipment and resources for ongoing monitoring
The program helps protect drinking water sources while ensuring septic systems are operating properly and not posing a risk to drinking water. If you have questions about how this applies to your property, please contact us at dwsp@nbmca.ca or 705-474-5420
