In May 2000, the municipal drinking water system for the community of Walkerton, Ontario was contaminated by a deadly strain of E. coli bacteria. Seven people died and thousands of other became ill from drinking the contaminated water. Many of these people now have chronic health issues. These terrible events demonstrate how vulnerable our drinking water can be when it is not properly managed and protected.
As a result of the tragedy in Walkerton, the provincial government launched the Walkerton Inquiry, led by Justice Dennis O'Connor. Justice O'Connor's Walkerton Report called for many changes to how we manage drinking water in Ontario. A number of the recommendations emphasized the need for the protection of drinking water sources.
Justice O'Connor identified that drinking water is best protected through an approach that uses several barriers to prevent contamination from affecting our drinking water. This is called the 'multi-barrier approach'. Actions to prevent contamination include water treatment and distribution systems, training of water managers and water testing; but the first barrier is to protect our drinking water right at its source. From this recommendation, the term Source Protection was born.
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