Chapter 4: Water Quality

Context

Clean water is critical to both human and ecological well-being.

Degraded water quality has historically placed significant stress on Lake Simcoe, its tributaries and the life they support. Stresses from urban, rural, recreational and agricultural activities have changed the landscape, vegetation, and ecological functions of the watershed and contributed to increases in the inputs of pollutants. Human activities in the watershed have also affected water quantity which can, in turn, significantly affect water quality. The primary stressors that degrade water quality include:

  • excessive nutrients, primarily phosphorus;
  • pollutants and contaminants, such as heavy metals, organic chemicals, sediments, and chlorides; and
  • pathogens, such as E. coli.

In addition to these stressors emerging issues such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products, climate change and invasive species can also directly and indirectly impact water quality. Although the extent of the impact of climate change on water quality is uncertain, it is projected that it will influence the frequency, intensity, extent and magnitude of existing water quality problems. Some examples of climate change impacts on water quality may include:

  • variations in stream flow regimes and lake levels affecting aquatic biota and habitats;
  • increases in sediment, phosphorus loading, and concentrations of contaminants;
  • increases in wind and flood transportation of nutrients, sediments and contaminants;
  • drinking water odour and taste problems, as water intakes are subjected to increases in algae concentrations; and
  • impacts to the nearshore area of lakes that may exacerbate the bioaccumulation of toxics by fish.

Excessive phosphorus has been the most significant cause of the water quality impairment inLake Simcoe and its tributaries. It leads to the excessive growth of plants and algae in the lake, which contributes to the depletion of dissolved oxygen in the deep waters of the lake and degradation of the critical habitat of coldwater species.

This pie chart shows the average 2002–2007 relative contribution of phosphorus sources to Lake Simcoe. The sources are the Watershed Streams at 41 tonnes per year or 56%, Atmospheric Deposition at 19 tonnes per year or 27%, Sewage Treatment Plants at 5 tonnes per year or 7%, Septics at 4 tonnes per year or 6%, and the Holland Marsh and smaller polders at 3 tonnes per year or 4%.

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This illustration shows a conceptual diagram of sources of phosphorus to Lake Simcoe and the relationship between phosphorus and dissolved oxygen. Sources of phosphorus include: Wind erosion of exposed soil resulting from agriculture, construction or aggregate extraction activities; Natural inputs such as soil erosion, leaves or vegetation and wildlife; Urban stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces, lawn fertilizers, construction, soil erosion, pet waste, dust, and detergents from activities like car washing; Agricultural inputs such as runoff from farm fields, livestock access to streams, milkhouse waste or polder management; Shoreline development including septic systems, shoreline alteration, Streambank erosion; and Sewage Treatment Plants that discharge treated effluent directly into the watershed. Phosphorus loads to the lake lead to the growth of plants and algae, which contribute to the depletion of dissolved oxygen in the deep water.

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It is important to note that there is annual variation to phosphorus loads delivered to Lake Simcoe. The amount of phosphorus loading to the lake changes from year-to-year and annual variation does not necessarily represent an upward or downward trend in phosphorus loads. For example, changes in discharged loads, runoff, land use and the climate (which has the greatest impact on annual variation) will influence the amount of phosphorus loading. Therefore, to get a true picture of phosphorus loading trends to Lake Simcoe, an assessment averaged over many years must be used. The average phosphorus loading, over the last five reporting years (2002 – 2007), to Lake Simcoe is 72 Tonnes per year, with an annual range of 67 to 77 Tonnes per year.

The primary sources of excess phosphorus to Lake Simcoe and its tributaries include:

  • effluent from sewage treatment plants serving urban communities and industry in the watershed;
  • stormwater runoff from urban areas within the watershed;
  • land use activities in rural, agricultural, urban and shoreline areas;
  • septic systems; and
  • atmospheric deposition of phosphorus in airborne dust caused by wind erosion from site alteration activities, construction sites, agricultural fields and mineral aggregate operations.

One of the biggest water quality challenges in Lake Simcoe is to reduce phosphorus loads to a level at which dissolved oxygen conditions could support a self-sustaining coldwater fish community. Based on estimates from current models, phosphorus loadings would need to be reduced to a level of approximately 44 tonnes per year to achieve the proposed dissolved oxygen target of 7 milligrams per litre (mg/L).

The Province set interim limits on sewage treatment plants and stormwater facilities around Lake Simcoe targeting phosphorus. These limits, set out in Ontario Regulation 60/08 (Lake Simcoe Protection) under the Ontario Water Resources Act, seek to control the phosphorus entering Lake Simcoe from specific municipal and industrial sources by:

  • limiting phosphorus discharges from municipal and industrial sewage treatment plants;
  • stopping new sewage treatment plants that would discharge phosphorus from being established; and
  • making stormwater management facilities serving new development meet the highest design standards.

This regulation applies from April 1, 2008, to March 31, 2010, and is intended to protect Lake Simcoe’s water quality until more permanent policies are developed, such as those in this Plan.

The policies in this chapter are intended to identify and address sources that cause water quality impairment and to enhance existing water quality. In many cases, activities may address more than one water quality parameter or ecosystem stressor. The Plan would impose stricter controls with respect to sewage treatment plants, stormwater management, septic systems and construction activities and encourage better management practices for agricultural, rural and urban communities.

To achieve ambitious reductions in phosphorus loadings, there would need to be reduced loadings from all sources that contribute to excess phosphorus throughout the watershed. This Plan would also support a coordinated, adaptive management, and phased approach to reducing excess phosphorus through the development of a phosphorus reduction strategy for the Lake Simcoe watershed.

Key Facts

  • Phosphorus loads measured from 2004 to 2007 ranged from 70 tonnes per year (in 2006-07) to 77 tonnes per year (in 2003-04) and were at the high end of the previously published (1998 to 2004) range of 53 to 76 tonnes per year. Current loads are well below levels in the early 1990s, which exceeded 100 tonnes per year.
  • Tributaries flowing into Lake Simcoe that currently are known to exceed the Provincial Water Quality Objectives for phosphorus include the East and West Holland, North Schomberg, Upper Schomberg, Maskinonge and Black Rivers as well as Tannery and Whites Creeks.
  • A key indicator of improving water quality in recent years is the increase in deep-water dissolved oxygen concentrations during late summer to more than 5 mg/L from less than 3 mg/L in most years during the 1980s and early 1990s.
  • Other pollutants of current or emerging concern in the watershed include chloride, toxic metals (e.g. chromium, aluminum, cadmium), organic chemicals, and pharmaceuticals.
  • Based on Ontario’s sport fish contaminant monitoring data used in the Guide to Eating Ontario Sport Fish, contaminant levels in sport fish (e.g., walleye, whitefish and carp) have decreased or remained stable over the last 10 to 15 years.

Targets:

  • Reduce phosphorus loadings to achieve a target for dissolved oxygen of 7 mg/L in the lake (long-term goal currently estimated at 44 tonnes per year)
  • Reduce pathogen loading to eliminate beach closures
  • Reduce contaminants to levels that achieve Provincial Water Quality Objectives or better

Indicators:

To evaluate progress in achieving the water quality-related objectives of the Plan, the following are indicators of environmental health relating to water quality in Lake Simcoe and its tributaries:

  • Dissolved oxygen in Lake Simcoe
  • Total phosphorus
    • concentration
    • loading
  • Pathogens
    • beach closures
  • Other water quality parameters
    • chlorides
    • other nutrients (e.g. nitrogen)
    • total suspended solids
    • heavy metals
    • organic chemicals

Policies:

Sewage Treatment

The Plan recognizes that sewage treatment plants are essential to communities and industry in the Lake Simcoe watershed; they treat sewage that would otherwise impair water quality and contribute excessive amounts of nutrients, pathogens, pollutants and sediment to the Lake Simcoe watershed. Future growth in the watershed will result in a greater demand on these sewage treatment plants to manage more sewage at a higher level of treatment. The potential impacts of emerging issues such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products and the impacts of climate change on existing sewage treatment infrastructure also need to be considered. The following policies are intended to further improve water quality, including addressing emerging issues, and reduce excessive phosphorus loading to the lake by imposing requirements on existing approvals and placing restrictions on both phosphorus loadings and the establishment of new sewage treatment plants, with some exceptions.

4.1-DP: For a proposed settlement area expansion, establishment of a new settlement area or a development proposal outside of a settlement area that requires an increase in the existing rated capacity of a sewage treatment plant or the establishment of a new sewage treatment plant, an environmental assessment of the undertaking shall be completed or approved prior to giving any approvals for the proposal under the Planning Act or the Condominium Act, 1998.

4.2-DP: Within one year of the date the Plan comes into effect, the Director shall review and amend the approvals for all sewage treatment plants in the Lake Simcoe watershed to ensure each sewage treatment plant owner and operator is required to do the following:

  1. demonstrate compliance with the Average Concentration Limit for total phosphorus specified in the approval:
    1. at a minimum on a monthly basis, or
    2. in the case of a sewage treatment plant with a seasonal discharge, on the frequency specified in the approval;
  2. conduct an initial characterization of effluent using a manner specified by the Director within five years of the amendment; and
  3. report back to the Director within six months of the initial characterization of effluent being completed.

4.3-DP: No new municipal sewage treatment plant shall be established in the Lake Simcoe watershed unless:

  1. the new plant is intended to replace an existing municipal sewage treatment plant; or
  2. the new sewage treatment plant will provide sewage services to,
    1. a development that is on partial services, or
    2. a development where one or more subsurface sewage works or on-site sewage systems are failing.

4.4-DP: No new non-municipal sewage treatment plant shall be established in the Lake Simcoe watershed unless the person applying to establish the plant can demonstrate that:

  1. the plant will result in a net reduction of phosphorous loadings to the watershed from the baseline conditions for the property that would be serviced by the new plant; or
  2. the undertaking that the plant will serve will not add phosphorous loadings to the Lake Simcoe watershed.

Stormwater Management

These policies call for comprehensive master plans to improve the management of stormwater for both existing and planned development. Applications for new major development must demonstrate how phosphorus loadings and changes in water balance will be minimized. The MOE will place stringent requirements on approvals for new stormwater works and will also review and, if necessary, revise existing approvals.

4.5-SA: Within five years of the date the Plan comes into effect, municipalities, in collaboration with the LSRCA, will prepare and implement comprehensive stormwater management master plans for each settlement area in the Lake Simcoe watershed. The stormwater management master plans will be prepared in accordance with the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment and will include:

  1. a characterization of existing environmental conditions on a subwatershed basis, consistent with any relevant subwatershed evaluations, if available;
  2. an evaluation of the cumulative environmental impact of stormwater from existing and planned development;
  3. a determination of the effectiveness of existing stormwater management works at reducing the negative impacts of stormwater on the environment, including consideration of the potential impacts of climate change on the effectiveness of the works;
  4. an examination of any stormwater retrofit opportunities that have already been identified by the municipality or the LSRCA for areas where stormwater is uncontrolled or inadequately controlled;
  5. the identification of additional stormwater management retrofit opportunities or improvements to existing stormwater management works that could improve the level of treatment within a particular settlement area;
  6. a description of existing or planned programs for regular maintenance of stormwater management works;
  7. an identification of the recommended approaches for stormwater management in each settlement area; and
  8. an implementation plan for the recommended approaches.

4.6-SA: Municipalities are encouraged to implement a stormwater retrofit prior to the completion of a stormwater management master plan if a stormwater retrofit opportunity has been identified as a priority for a settlement area and is determined to be economically feasible.

4.7-DP: Municipalities shall incorporate into their official plans policies related to reducing stormwater runoff volume and pollutant loadings from major development and existing settlement areas including policies that:

  1. encourage implementation of a hierarchy of source, lot-level, conveyance and end-of-pipe controls;
  2. encourage the implementation of innovative stormwater management measures;
  3. allow for flexibility in development standards to incorporate alternative community design and stormwater techniques, such as those related to site plan design, lot grading, ditches and curbing, road widths, road and driveway surfaces, and the use of open space as temporary detention ponds;
  4. support implementation of programs to identify areas where source control or elimination of cross connections may be necessary to reduce pathogens or contaminants; and
  5. support implementation of source control programs, which are targeted to existing areas that lack adequate stormwater controls.

4.8-DP: An application for major development shall be accompanied by a stormwater management plan that demonstrates:

  1. consistency with stormwater management master plans prepared under policy 4.5, when completed;
  2. consistency with subwatershed evaluations prepared under policy 8.3 and water budgets prepared under policy 5.2, when completed;
  3. an integrated treatment train approach will be used to minimize stormwater management flows and reliance on end-of-pipe controls through measures including source controls, lot-level controls and conveyance techniques, such as grass swales;
  4. through an evaluation of anticipated changes in the water balance between pre-development and post-development, how such changes shall be minimized; and
  5. through an evaluation of anticipated changes in phosphorus loadings between pre-development and post-development, how the loadings shall be minimized.

4.9-DP: Stormwater management works that are established to serve new major development in the Lake Simcoe watershed shall not be permitted unless the works have been designed to satisfy the Enhanced Protection level specified in Chapter 3 of the MOE's “Stormwater Management Planning and Design Manual 2003”, as amended from time to time.

This policy does not apply if the works are intended to serve an infill development or a redevelopment within a settlement area, it is not feasible to comply with the specified design standard, and the person seeking to establish the works demonstrates that the works incorporate the most effective measures in the circumstances to control the quality and quantity of stormwater related to the development or redevelopment.

4.10-DP: Every owner and operator of a new stormwater management works in the Lake Simcoe watershed shall be required to inspect and maintain the works on a periodic basis.

4.11-DP: Every owner and operator of a new priority stormwater management works in the Lake Simcoe watershed shall be required to monitor the operation of works, including monitoring the quality of the effluent from the works, on a periodic basis.

4.12-SA: The MOE will review the approvals issued under section 53 of the Ontario Water Resources Act in respect of existing priority stormwater management works within the Lake Simcoe watershed. If a review of an approval for an existing priority stormwater management works determines that the conditions in the approval are inadequate, having regard to the objectives of the Plan, including the conditions related to inspection, maintenance and monitoring, the approval will be referred to the Director for the purpose of determining whether an amendment to the approval is necessary to assist in meeting the objectives of the Plan.

On-Site and Subsurface Sewage Treatment

Septic systems that are inadequate or not functioning properly are potentially significant sources of pathogens that may eventually enter Lake Simcoe and its tributaries. It is estimated that the septic systems adjacent to Lake Simcoe contribute approximately 4.4 tonnes of phosphorus to Lake Simcoe annually. The following policies are intended to help improve water quality and prevent additional phosphorus loading to the lake as well as protect our natural heritage.

4.13-SA: Within one year of the date the Plan comes into effect, the MMAH and the MOE will develop a proposal for a regulation under the Ontario Building Code Act, 1992, to designate the lands within 100 metres of the Lake Simcoe shoreline, other lakes, and any permanent stream of Lake Simcoe, as a prescribed area for required on-site sewage system maintenance re-inspections.

4.14-SA: The MMAH, in consultation with the MOE, municipalities, conservation authorities, health units and industry partners, will consider new standards, including those being developed by the Bureau de Normalisation du Québec for small on-site sewage systems that evaluate new treatment unit technologies with respect to the reduction of pathogens and nutrients. The MMAH will consider the appropriateness of an amendment to Ontario’s Building Code to incorporate the new standards.

4.15-DP: Subject to other policies of the Plan, a new on-site sewage system or subsurface sewage works shall not be permitted within 100 metres of the Lake Simcoe shoreline, other lakes, or any permanent stream except in the following circumstances:

  1. a proposal for an on-site sewage system or subsurface sewage works that would serve an agricultural use, an agricultural-related use or a public open space;
  2. a proposal for an on-site sewage system or subsurface sewage works that would replace or expand the capacity of an existing on-site sewage system or subsurface sewage works that will serve a use that would have been permitted by the applicable zoning by-law, as of the effective date of the Plan; or
  3. a proposal for an on-site sewage system or subsurface sewage works that relates to a development proposal for only one dwelling, where the proposal would have been permitted by the applicable zoning by-law, as of the effective date of the Plan.

Construction and Mineral Aggregate Resource Activities

Land use practices that expose soils to wind and runoff have resulted in significant soil erosion impacting water quality in the Lake Simcoe and its tributaries. Overall atmospheric deposition accounts for a significant portion of the annual phosphorus load to Lake Simcoe, but we don’t know the exact sources and quantities from those sources. These policies will assist in getting a better understanding of the sources and relative quantities of phosphorus delivered to the Lake through atmospheric deposition. In the meantime, the Plan identifies a number of actions ranging from mandatory conditions for subdivision agreements, site plans and for site alteration, while also promoting the implementation of effective and practical best management practices to reduce soil erosion and address atmospheric deposition from construction, aggregate and agricultural sites.

4.16-SA: Within two years of the date the Plan comes into effect, the MOE will complete a study that identifies the sources of atmospheric deposition contributing phosphorus to the Lake Simcoe watershed.

4.17-SA: Within three years of the date the Plan comes into effect, the MOE will:

  1. review measures, including regulatory controls and best management practices, to reduce water quality impairment, including the contribution of phosphorus loadings to the Lake Simcoe watershed from construction activities;
  2. evaluate the effectiveness of the measures; and
  3. identify preferred measures based on the review and the study referred to in policy 4.17, including the types of policies that could be included in the Plan.

4.18-SA: Within three years of the date the Plan comes into effect, the MNR and the MOE, in consultation with the aggregate industry and key stakeholders, will determine the need for additional standards in the Aggregate Resources of Ontario-Provincial Standards for mineral resource aggregate activities within the Lake Simcoe watershed. The determination will be based on the findings of the study identified in policy 4.17 and the MNR's review of the Aggregates Resources of Ontario-Provincial Standards.

4.19-SA: The mineral aggregate resources industry is encouraged to adopt best management practices as a proactive measure to reduce potential contribution of phosphorus loadings to the Lake Simcoe watershed.

4.20-DP: Municipalities shall ensure that the following measures are incorporated into subdivision agreements and site plan agreements:

  1. keep the removal of vegetation, grading and soil compaction to the minimum necessary to carry out development activity;
  2. removal of vegetation shall not occur more than 30 days prior to grading or construction;
  3. put in place structures to control and convey runoff;
  4. minimize sediment that is eroded offsite during construction;
  5. seed exposed soils once construction is complete and seasonal conditions permit; and
  6. ensure erosion and sediment controls are implemented effectively.

4.21-HR: Site alteration in the Lake Simcoe watershed shall be undertaken in a manner that incorporates the measures set out in policy 4.20.

Scientific Water Quality Monitoring and Research

Recognizing the need for an adaptive management approach to water quality issues, the following policies are intended to enhance the ability of the Province and its partners to effectively monitor water quality in the Lake Simcoe watershed, while promoting, conducting and supporting water quality research in key areas to help inform decision-making and future Plan policy amendments with the best available science.

4.22-M The MOE, in partnership with the MNR and the LSRCA, shall develop and implement an enhanced scientific water quality monitoring program that builds upon the monitoring program implemented through the LSEMS. This monitoring program shall be based on an adaptive management approach, and may be altered from time to time to respond to changing environmental conditions and management needs. At a minimum this monitoring program shall include:

  1. routine monitoring of the water quality of Lake Simcoe and its tributaries;
  2. monitoring of water quality parameters that affect the health of the Lake Simcoe ecosystem, for example, nutrients, pathogens, chlorides, sediments, heavy metals and organic chemicals;
  3. monitoring of biological indicators linked to water quality; and
  4. performance monitoring and reporting that evaluates the effectiveness of protection measures specified in this Plan that are designed to improve water quality.

4.23-SA: The MOE, MNR and MAFRA, in collaboration with the LSRCA and other partners, will promote, conduct and support scientific research projects. These projects will build on existing research and monitoring programs, identify emerging issues and support the overall adaptive management approach of the Plan. Initial research will focus on one or more of the following:

  1. monitoring nutrients, including on-going validation of the phosphorus loading goal;
  2. tracking sources of pollutants, such as pathogens that are a cause of beach closures, and assessing other contaminants such as chlorides;
  3. enhancing existing lake water quality models that relate total phosphorus loads to dissolved oxygen and considering new models used in other aquatic ecosystems, as well as those that assess the impacts associated with invasive species, climate change, and other emerging issues;
  4. stormwater management, including effectiveness of stormwater management design and techniques, innovative technologies, integrated treatment train approach; and
  5. impact of organic chemicals and emerging compounds, such as personal care products, pharmaceuticals and endocrine disruptors in Lake Simcoe.

Phosphorus Reduction Strategy

In order to achieve the ambitious reductions in phosphorus loadings proposed in the Plan, there is a need to reduce loadings from all sources that contribute to excess phosphorus throughout the watershed. The following policies recognize this need by requiring the development of a phosphorus reduction strategy for the Lake Simcoe watershed, which will support a phased, coordinated and adaptive management approach to reducing excess phosphorus loadings. These policies also consider the need for innovative solutions to reducing phosphorus, like the proposal to conduct a feasibility study to determine the effectiveness of a water quality trading program in the watershed.

4.24-SA: Within one year of the date the Plan comes into effect, the MOE, in collaboration with other Provincial ministries, the First Nations and Métis communities, the LSRCA and municipalities will develop a Phosphorus Reduction Strategy for the Lake Simcoe watershed for the purpose of reducing phosphorus loadings to achieve the target of dissolved oxygen of 7 mg/L. The Strategy will be designed to accommodate the implementation of the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, where relevant. The components of the Phosphorus Reduction Strategy will include:

  1. the development of subwatershed phosphorus loading targets;
  2. if determined to be necessary, the development of phosphorus loading targets for specific areas of Lake Simcoe, including individual targets for Kempenfelt Bay, Cook’s Bay, and the main basin;
  3. an assessment of sources or sectors that contribute phosphorus loadings to the watershed, including:
    1. sewage treatment plants,
    2. tributary sources,
    3. subsurface sewage systems,
    4. stormwater runoff, and
    5. sources of atmospheric deposition;
  4. an identification of practical and effective actions that should be taken to address each source or sector assessed under sub-paragraph c;
  5. the proposal of a long-term total phosphorus loading cap for each sewage treatment plant in the Lake Simcoe watershed. These long-term phosphorus loading caps will be integrated and consistent with phosphorus loading goal established in the Plan and targets referred to under sub-paragraph a. and b., and will consider the following:
    1. detailed evaluations of treatment efficiency, flow capacity and economic feasibility in achieving various effluent limits,
    2. flow capacity needed to accommodate the population and employment growth allocated to the areas serviced by a sewage treatment plant,
    3. minimum standards for phosphorus removal, and
    4. timelines required for achieving compliance with the new loading caps.
  6. an examination of how effluent re-use opportunities in the Lake Simcoe watershed may contribute to reducing phosphorus loadings to achieve the dissolved oxygen target of 7 mg/L.

4.25-SA: Within one year of the date the Plan comes into effect the MOE will conduct a feasibility study for Water Quality Trading pursuant to subsection 75, (1.8), of the Ontario Water Resources Act.

4.26-SA: Within one year of the date of the Plan comes into effect, the MOE, in consultation with municipalities will develop and implement a plan to promote the use of low-phosphate or phosphate-free products within the Lake Simcoe watershed.

Stewardship

Many of the designated polices and strategic actions described in this chapter cannot be implemented in isolation and will require active partnership with stewardship activities, described in detail in Chapter 8. Stewardship will augment the water quality policies by adding the voluntary efforts and activities of agricultural, rural and urban landowners and residents, and for those in charge of public lands.

Stewardship programming is intended to promote phosphorus reduction and pollution management by using best management practices that can be implemented by individuals on single or multiple properties. Examples include shoreline and riparian management (e.g. planting of native species) by appropriate shoreline and streamside landowners, nutrient management by farmers and municipalities, innovative and ‘green’ design by developers, urban planners and engineers (e.g. innovative stormwater infrastructure), and soil conservation and management on farms, mineral and aggregate resource operations, golf courses and municipal lands.

Chapter 5: Water Quantity

Context

Extractions of large volumes of groundwater and surface water may be contributing to diminishing water supplies in the Lake Simcoe watershed, reducing base flow to streams and reducing the overall flow of water into Lake Simcoe. Adequate flow in rivers and streams is needed to sustain aquatic ecosystems and certain subwatersheds in the Lake Simcoe watershed are already under water quantity stress, causing changes in the aquatic habitats of rivers and streams and impacting aquatic communities.

Changes in water levels and flows can also affect other elements of the watershed such as water quality and the health of natural areas and shorelines. Watershed residents and users also depend on a sustainable water supply for a variety of uses, including drinking water, irrigation, industrial processing, navigation, recreation and wastewater assimilation.

Demand for water will likely intensify as continuing growth and development diminish available supplies and increase demand for water. In addition, climate change also has potential impacts on water quantity, including:

  • demand for water potentially exceeding supply;
  • changes in ice cover affecting evaporation, lake levels, shoreline erosion, precipitation, seasonality, and lake-effect snow;
  • periodic failures of sewage and flood control infrastructure;
  • reduction in ground water and artesian flows; and
  • an increase in flooding and/or drought events.

The policies included in the Plan help increase the capacity of the Lake Simcoe watershed to adapt to the impacts of climate change. The MOE's Permit to Take Water Program, source protection planning under the Clean Water Act, 2006, the MNR's Ontario Low Water Response Program, would continue to play important roles in managing water quantity in the Lake Simcoe watershed.

To protect aquatic ecosystems in the Lake Simcoe watershed, an adequate portion of the available water supply must be reserved for the ecosystem and restricted from human consumption.

This Plan would support research to estimate the reserve flows required to maintain healthy aquatic ecosystems in the watershed. It would also promote greater efforts to conserve and use water more efficiently in order to maintain future demands for water within sustainable limits. Specific targets for protecting water quantity will be developed once the research has been completed.

Key Facts

  • The use of large amounts of groundwater and surface water can cause reduced flow in streams, the lowering of the water table and a reduced total inflow of water to the Lake. At high risk of depletion (e.g., below the level to maintain base flow) is the Maskinonge River
  • The State of the Lake Simcoe Watershed Report (LSEMS, 2003) pointed to decreases in streamflow that have affected the availability of aquatic habitats and resulted in the loss of recreational opportunities and impacts to the local economy
  • Water quantity issues can bring with them significant impacts across the Lake Simcoe watershed. These issues are attracting more attention through initiatives such as source water protection under the Clean Water Act, 2006, which will lead to the development of “water budgets” that quantify the volumes of water in a watershed

Indicators:

To monitor progress in achieving the water quantity-related objectives of the Plan, the following are indicators of environmental health relating to water quantity:

  • maintenance of in-stream flow regimes that are protective of aquatic ecosystem needs (as identified in the in-stream flow studies and implemented through the water-taking strategy); and
  • effective water conservation and efficiency plans (e.g., as measured through reductions in peak water demand, reduced water use per capita, progress in achieving municipal targets).

Policies:

Water Supply

The policies below will support the maintenance of adequate flows required to maintain healthy aquatic ecosystems in the Lake Simcoe watershed.

5.1-SA: The MOE and the MNR will develop in-stream flow targets for water quantity stressed subwatersheds in collaboration with LSRCA. This includes the development of targets for in-stream flow regimes and water extraction limits for the Maskinonge River subwatershed within two years of the date the Plan comes into effect. The targets will build on watershed information and assessments developed through Drinking Water Source Water Protection Program (Clean Water Act, 2006) and will consider the potential impacts of climate change and will be used to inform future strategies related to water taking. These strategies may lead to policies that:

  1. require the development of targets for all other subwatersheds, and set out how much water can be allocated among users in a subwatershed, including setting aside an allocation to support the natural functions of the ecosystem;
  2. specify requirements on the Directors when issuing or amending Permits To Take Water in that subwatershed; or
  3. address climate change adaptation for water taking in the watershed.

5.2-SA: The LSRCA, in partnership with municipalities, will complete Tier 2 water budgets for all subwatersheds that have not been completed in the assessment report required under the Clean Water Act, 2006 for the Lake Simcoe and Couchiching/Black River Source Protection Area. Priority should be given to all stressed subwatersheds identified in Policy 5.1, where Tier 2 water budgets have not been completed under the Clean Water Act, 2006. The water budgets may be used to inform:

  1. municipal water conservation and efficiency plans, including those prepared under Policy 5.3 and municipal decisions concerning growth and development;
  2. water-taking strategies prepared under Policy 5.1 and decisions made by the Director concerning Permits To Take Water;
  3. the identification of significant groundwater recharge areas identified in Policy 6.36-DP of this Plan; or
  4. policies that would be included in future amendments to the Plan.

Water Conservation and Efficiency

The policies below will promote greater efforts to conserve and use water more efficiently throughout the Lake Simcoe watershed.

5.3-SA: Within five years of the date the Plan comes into effect, the municipalities of Barrie, Orillia, New Tecumseth, Bradford West Gwillimbury, Innisfil, Oro-Medonte and Ramara will prepare and begin implementation of a water conservation and efficiency plan, that has regard to the recommended standards and practices for the municipal sector including those recommended by the Ontario Water Works Association. A water conservation and efficiency plan will, at a minimum:

  1. establish targets for water conservation and/or efficiency with timeframes for achieving these targets;
  2. identify and evaluate:
    1. water conservation measures such as improved management practices, the use of flow-restricting devices and other hardware, water reuse and recycling, and practices and technologies associated with water reuse and recycling,
    2. water conservation incentives such as full-cost pricing, and
    3. methods for promoting water conservation measures and water conservation incentives, including public education and awareness programs for rural residents not served by a municipal water supply system;
  3. analyze the costs and benefits of the measures described in clause (a);
  4. require the use of specified water conservation measures and incentives;
  5. contain an implementation plan for those specified measures and incentives that reconciles the demand for water with the water supply;
  6. provide for monitoring and reporting of the effectiveness of the conservation plan and achievement of water conservation and/or efficiency targets; and
  7. consider the potential impacts of climate change.

5.4-SA: The MAFRA, in cooperation with key stakeholders, will assist and encourage water conservation and efficiency efforts in the agricultural community through stewardship programs aimed at promoting the adoption of best management practices. Specific opportunities may include:

  1. education and outreach under the Environmental Farm Plan other Lake Simcoe watershed-focused programs, and related cost-share support to implement agricultural water conservation and efficiency best management practices; or
  2. in stressed subwatersheds, where adoption of individual best management practices through the Environmental Farm Plan does not address agricultural water supply challenges, investigation of a strategic approach to water supply planning to identify communal infrastructure, other stewardship programs, or cost-share and partnership opportunities, as appropriate.

5.5-SA: The MOE will work with other water use sectors, such as the major recreational use sector and other commercial and industrial sectors, in the Lake Simcoe watershed to encourage the development and implementation of water conservation and efficient use practices for their sector.

5.6-DP: An application to establish or expand a major recreational use shall be accompanied by a recreation water use plan that demonstrates:

  1. water use for maintenance or snow-making or both are kept to a minimum;
  2. grassed, watered and manicured areas are limited to sports fields surfaces, golf fairways, tees and greens, and landscaped areas around buildings and structures; grass mixtures that require minimal watering and upkeep will be used for sports fields and golf fairways where applicable;
  3. crossings of intermittent and permanent streams are kept to a minimum;
  4. water-conserving technologies (such as low-flow toilets and shower heads) are used in clubhouses and restaurants where applicable;
  5. water-conserving technologies (such as timed irrigation systems designed to reduce evaporation losses, and recycling of water from under greens) are used in the irrigation and watering of sports field surfaces, golf fairways, tees and greens, and landscaped areas around buildings and structures, where applicable;
  6. other water conservation technologies (such as rainwater harvesting or reuse of stormwater) will be used to reduce water use; and
  7. stormwater treatment facilities are used to capture and treat runoff from areas with impervious surfaces.