Chapple lands funding for groundwater study

The provincial government has given Chapple $72,250 as part of the largest single investment in groundwater protection in Ontario’s history, it was announced Friday.
Chapple is one of 31 communities and conservation authorities across the province sharing in the government’s $10-million “Superbuild” investment in local groundwater studies.
“Our government is committed to ensuring that everyone in this province has access to clean, safe drinking water,” said Elizabeth Witmer, the former environment minister who took over as deputy premier and education minister in Monday’s Cabinet shuffle.
“By gaining a better understanding of our water supply, we can plan to protect it and preserve it for the future,” Witmer stressed.
The Chapple study will map sensitive groundwater areas and survey how groundwater is used. It also will identify wellhead protection areas around municipal wells and potential contaminants.
The information generated from this study will help the township develop local source protection measures.
And it will get underway soon.
“They’ll be starting as soon as the frost gets out of the ground,” said Chapple Reeve Bill Clink. “They’ll be looking at a lot of information and data previous well diggers had.
“They’re also going to dig three new wells to determine the direction the water’s coming from,” he added. “It helps us in future planning if someone wanted to put in a bulk plant, for instance.
“It’s protection down the road. We’re looking ahead,” Reeve Clink stressed. “It’ll protect our water system down the road and the information will be on hand forever.
The $10-million for groundwater studies builds on previous Ontario government investments in water source protection, including more than $4.3 million to fund groundwater studies under the Provincial Water Protection Fund and $6 million to establish the Provincial Groundwater Monitoring Network.
These initiatives are part of “Operation Clean Water,” the government’s comprehensive strategy announced in August, 2000 to focus province-wide efforts to improve water quality and delivery in Ontario.