The importance of source water protection is now on full display in the municipality of North Perth.
On Friday morning, the municipality unveiled its new signs signalling people that they are in a source water protection zone.
Jenna Allain, the program supervisor for Drinking Water Source Protection, says that while the signs help alert residents to be wary in the source areas it's also handy for another reason.
"This is also for emergency responders. So, if say there was a fuel spill in North Perth, and it was in one of these source water protection zones, the signs would let the emergency responders know, and they would approach the situation in the appropriate way," says Allain.
North Perth is one of nine municipalities in the region that rely on ground water wells, and is the first in the Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Source Protection Region to install signs alerting people that they are near one such well.
Mayor Julie Behrns spoke about why North Perth took the initiative to install the new signs first.
"This is about educating, and alerting residents that they are in the vicinity of a source water protection zone. It's easy to lead by example, and someone has to be first, which we are willing to do. Everyone now has to be aware of the importance of protecting our source water, and this is another step in keeping everyone aware," says Behrns.
Other municipalities in the region will soon be following suit, alerting people when they are near a very important source of clean drinking water in their municipality.
The new signs were approved and made in conjunction with the Ministry of Transportation.
