Source Water Protection

Source Waters are the untreated water resources (e.g., lakes, rivers, groundwater) that we use for public drinking supplies.  The goal of source water protection is to maintain, or improve, the quality of drinking water resources before it reaches the treatment plant. 

Halifax Water currently manages eight watersheds, as well as three groundwater sources, that collectively supply drinking water to over 79,000 households and businesses in the Halifax Regional Municipality.

More information about Halifax Water and recent Source Water Protection news and notifications can be found:

• About Halifax Water
• Halifax Water's Facilities and Infrastructure
• Water Treatment Facilities
• Source Water Protection - News and Notifications

Halifax Water's Source Water Areas

Click to enlarge map (.pdf)

Why is Source Water Protection Important?

Source Water Protection is the first step in Halifax Water's Multiple Barrier Approach, which is a series of checks and balances to produce high quality water from the water source to the customer's tap.

Protecting water at the source helps to proactively prevent contaminants from entering the drinking water system.  Keeping clean water clean is one of the most effective and cost-efficient ways to ensure public health protection as well as maintain our water resources both for us and our environment into the future.

Halifax Water's Source Water Protection Planning

As part of our roles and responsibilities in providing safe drinking water, we at Halifax Water  develop and maintain Source Water Protection Plans for our source water areas.

We rely on a number of tools and approaches to protect the Halifax Regional Municipality's public water supply resources, including:

• Regulations for Environmental Protection
• Guidelines for Environmental Protection

• Land Acquisition

• Sound Forest and Land Management Practices

• Source Water Area Monitoring

• Public Awareness, Involvement, and Education

• Research Projects and Initiatives

Highlights from our recent accomplishments and future initiatives can be found in our Source Water Protection report:

Halifax Water's Source Water Protection Report - August 2010 

 

Regulations for Environmental Protection

The Pockwock Lake, Lake Major, and Bennery Lake watershed areas are designated under the Nova Scotia Environment Act.  Under the designation regulations, activities such as hunting, fishing, swimming, and the use of motorized vehicles may be restricted in these areas.

Details on the designations and regulations can be found online:

• Bennery Lake Watershed Protected Water Area Designation
• Bennery Lake Watershed Protected Water Area Regulations
• Lake Major Watershed Protected Water Area Designation

• Lake Major Watershed Protected Water Area Regulations
• Pockwock Lake Watershed Protected Water Area Designation & Regulations

In addition to the provincial designations and regulations, the Halifax Regional Water Commission Act restricts activities in watershed areas associated with Lake Lamont, Chain Lakes, and Tomahawk Lake:

• Halifax Regional Water Commission Act

Halifax Water regards its private lands as protected areas.  Under the Protection of Property Act, many activities that could negatively impact source waters can be handled as trespass violations (e.g., illegal dumping, off-highway vehicle use). For more information, please contact us for details.

Other Regulations and Legislation:

• Halifax Regional Municipality Legislation and Bylaws
• Municipality of East Hants Legislation and Bylaws
• Nova Scotia Environment Legislation:
  • Water and Wastewater Facilities and Public Drinking Water Supplies Regulations
• Nova Scotia Municipal Government Act:
  • Statement of Provincial Interest on Drinking Water Supply
• Federal Regulations and Legislation:
  • Fisheries Act
  • Canadian Environmental Protection Act
  • Canadian Environmental Assessment Act
• Off-highway Vehicles Act, R.S.N.S. 1989, c. 323
• Prohibition of Off-Highway Vehicle Use in Pockwock Lake Watershed Protected Water Area

Changes to Regulations:

Regulations are reviewed on an ongoing basis.  Changes will be listed on our Source Water Protection - News and Notifications.

Guidelines for Environmental Protection

The demands on Halifax Water watershed lands are constantly evolving. Low impact use of watershed lands may be allowed when conducted in compliance with Halifax Water policies and guidelines.

Halifax Water Geocaching Guidelines:

Land Aquisition

Sound Forest and Land Management Practices

 Halifax Water Best Management Practices for Halifax Water, and Crown Managed Lands

 

Source Water Area Monitoring

Halifax Water's source water area monitoring program consists of maintaining a presence through patrolling, encouraging public reporting of any illegal or suspicious activities, and source water quality sampling.  Some of the issues encountered have been illegal use of off-highway vehicles, illegal forestry and dumping, all of which can adversely affect water quality.

Halifax Water also conducts routine monitoring of streams, rivers, lakes, and groundwater at key locations throughout the source water areas for biological, physical and chemical characteristics. 

The source water quality data collected is used by Halifax Water to identify current conditions, track changes, set goals, and support management decision making.

Some of the water quality parameters measured may include:

Public Awareness, Involvement and Education

There are currently three Watershed Advisory Committees that provide support to Halifax Water.  The committees are made up of representatives from Nova Scotia Environment, Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources, Municipal Planning & Development, as well as watershed users and stakeholders:

• Pockwock Lake Watershed Management Committee
• Lake Major Watershed Advisory Board
• Bennery Lake Watershed Management Committee

In addition to our website presence, to keep our customers and watershed users informed, Halifax Water also:

• Maintains educational and regulatory signage
• Participates in public events on an ongoing basis
• Distributes public notifications, educational articles, and publications

• Partnerships with:
  • Clean Nova Scotia's
    • Adopt-a-Watershed Program
    • I Love HRM Tap Water Campaign
  • Discovery Centre
  • COLTA (Chain of Lakes Trail Association)
  • Preston and Area Trails Association

Research Projects and Initiatives

Halifax Water partners with other organizations on an ongoing basis to participate in research projects to support decision making and provide insight on a number of issues that could impact source water protection.

Some of the past and in-progress projects include:

	Pockwock Lake Study Assessment of water quality impacts from forest harvesting activities on Pockwock Lake. This research also contributes to the development of forestry best management practices and a forest hydrology model which can be used to guide future harvesting policies and practices. Partners involved include Halifax Water, NS Environment, Environment Canada, NS Dept of Natural Resources, Canadian Forestry Service, and Nova Forest Alliance. Information about this project can be found on the Pockwock Lake Study and the Pockwock-Bowater Watershed Study websites.
	Climate Change Impacts and Adaptations in the Forests of Central Nova Scotia James Steenberg, Dalhousie University M.E.S. Thesis (2010) Assessment of the vulnerability of the Pockwock and Lake Major Watersheds to climate change, and management strategies to ensure long term watershed resilience and water conservation.
	The Development and Analysis of a Continuous Monitoring Network for Pockwock Lake Colin Ragush, Dalhousie University M.Sc. Thesis (2011) Evaluation of various watershed monitoring and sampling protocols in order to develop efficient, meaningful, approaches to evaluate water quality and support decision-making.

For more information on Halifax Water's Source Water Protection Program, contact: