Activity C: Urban

Minimizing and Reducing Surface Water Quality Pollution from Urban Stormwater

Continuing efforts by the Authority in cooperation with the watershed municipalities will address existing urban issues (10 to12, and 17). Two separate tasks are underway. The first involves specific efforts to reduce surface water quality degradation from uncontrolled urban areas through the development of urban stormwater management strategies and the construction of urban BMP's to address stormwater runoff and streambank erosion. The second task addresses surface water quality impacts from new urbanizing areas through the delivery and enforcement of watershed development policies as part of the plan review process. This activity will be on-going throughout the period of the Memorandum of Understanding (2001-2007).

Controlling Pollution Inputs to Surface Waters from Human Sewage

The Ministry of the Environment and watershed municipalities are taking the lead to reduce pollution from human sewage through existing legislation and enforcement. The Ministry of the Environment special policy C.6 addresses issue 16 regarding the continued regulation of water pollution control facilities within the watershed. The Regional Health Units continue to review and enforce issues relating to private waste disposal (13 to 15) in cooperation with the province. This activity will be on-going throughout the period of the Memorandum of Understanding (2001-2007).

Developing a Total Water Quality Program

In 2000 a report investigating the feasibility of a "phosphorus trading program" to address the most cost effective methods of phosphorus control was completed. Recommendations within the report suggested that not only was such a process feasible within the Lake Simcoe watershed but that significant progress could be made to address urban and rural sources of phosphorus. The Authority, in cooperation with the MOE, OMAF, watershed municipalities, the urban development industry, and the agricultural community will be responsible for implementing the development of the next phase of the total water quality program within the Lake Simcoe watershed (Issue 18). It is anticipated that the program should begin implementation by 2003 and be on-going throughout the remaining period of the Memorandum of Understanding (until 2007).

ACTIVITY C: URBAN
Objective: To improve water quality by implementing best management practices to control runoff from industrial, commercial and residential land use.
ISSUES	ACTIONS	PARTNERS
10. Soil Erosion and Sedimentation from Construction Activities	Enforce and promote adoption of soil conservation and tree cutting by-laws by all municipalities	LSRCA, Municipalities
11. Stormwater Management Practices to Control Urban Runoff	Adopt of state-of-the-art stormwater management practices	LSRCA, MNR, MOE, Municipalities
12. Existing Uncontrolled Urban Stormwater Runoff	Develop and initiate a plan to retro-fit existing uncontrolled urban development with stormwater best management practices to reduce surface water pollution	LSRCA, Municipalities
13. Municipal Sewer Cross Connections	Trace and eliminate all illegal cross connections	Municipalities, MOE
14. Inadequate/Faulty Private Sewage Disposal Systems	Replace inadequate private sewage disposal systems and promote proper maintenance	Regional Health Departments, LSRCA
15. Alternative Private Sewage Disposal Systems	Promote alternative private waste management systems that have been proven effective	LSRCA, MOE, Regional Municipalities
16. Sewage Treatment Plant Effluent	Review existing guidelines relative to phosphorous limits every five years	MOE, Municipalities
17. Streambank Erosion	Continue providing landowners with assistance to remedy streambank erosion and educate the importance of buffer strips along streambanks	LSRCA, Municipalities
18. Total Water Quality Management	Develop a program whereby phosphorus loading reductions by source are addressed based on their cost effectiveness and whereby funds can be diverted from less effective measures	LSRCA, MOE, Municipalities, OMAF

Activity A: Basin Wide Ecosystem Planning
Activity B: Agriculture
Activity C: Urban
Activity D: Monitoring and Scientific Studies
Activity E: Public Awareness, Education and Community Action