Source water protection

Source water protection is the process of preventing contamination and overuse of source water to protect public health. It is the first step of the multi-barrier approach to protecting drinking water.  

The health of our source water is directly affected by what happens on the land around it. Everyone has a role in source water protection.  

Find your source water in the Drinking Water Sources in BC Map.

On this page

• Why protect source water
• Provincial government role in source water protection
• Working together to protect source water
• Simple ways to help protect source water

Why protect source water

The healthier the source water is, the less treatment it requires to provide a secure water supply that meets drinking water guidelines and demands. To be effective, source water protection must include both: 

• Water quantity: making sure there is a sustainable and reliable amount of water for drinking 
• Water quality: making sure the water remains as clean as possible by limiting contaminant inputs 

Planning ahead to protect source water benefits both the communities and the environment that the water comes from. By working together, you can help to: 

• Protect human health and drinking water safety
• Maintain a healthy aquatic environment
• Sustain Indigenous rights, cultures and local water values
• Support environmentally beneficial and sustainable land use decisions
• Support public awareness and shared responsibility for water stewardship

Provincial government role in source water protection

The B.C. government undertakes specific activities to help protect source water:

• Provides guidance for water system operators who supply drinking water to those living in British Columbia
• Provides information and mapping for algae blooms. Submit an algae bloom observation
• Coordinates agencies in B.C. that help protect drinking water
• Supports Drinking Water Officers in Regional Health Authorities to help inform the best available source through drinking water system construction permits and water licensing
• Monitors source water and reporting to other agencies on water quality and volume

Source water protection tools

There are many laws and regulations that manage land and water use activities to help protect source water. The B.C. government uses a range of both proactive and responsive regulatory measures, policies, data analysis, and science-based digital service tools to help protect, steward and manage B.C.’s source water:

• Implementing the Drinking Water Protection Act and Drinking Water Protection Regulation
• Mapping drinking water systems and source water areas
• Well protection: The Groundwater Protection Regulation regulates activities related to the construction, maintenance and decommissioning of a well to prevent groundwater supply and drinking water contamination
  • Consult the Well Protection Toolkit: a six-step process for well protection planning, so a community can prevent contamination of its groundwater supply
• Under the Water Sustainability Act, water objectives and water sustainability plans can be established at a watershed scale to improve water security in priority areas
• Source water quality guidelines (PDF, 800KB) are benchmarks to help reduce risks to future and current drinking water sources and are particularly relevant in multi-use watersheds where cumulative impacts are of concern to human health
• Water quality objectives are evidence-based numbers or statements that reflect low-risk conditions to protect or improve conditions of a specific waterbody
• Drinking water protection plans and water source and system assessments and response plans are two drinking water planning tools that can be used for source water protection planning in B.C.
  • Find source water protection plans and assessment reports in EcoCat
  • Find information to support water system operators in source water protection planning and source water assessments
  • Learn more about drinking water protection planning in B.C.
• Community watersheds are a defined area under the Forest and Range Practices Act to help protect water quality for communities and private water users that rely on surface water as a drinking water source, in areas where logging is occurring. While we are not presently assigning new community watersheds under this act, the existing designated areas remain active

Working together to protect source water

With so many activities and influences on our watersheds and aquifers, protecting source water and addressing impacts to water security is a shared responsibility. Effective protection often requires coordinated actions across jurisdictions, and local knowledge can play a key role in implementing these measures.

The following types of groups may be involved in source water protection:

• Local governments
• Indigenous governments, communities and organizations
• Water system operators
• Provincial government
• Risk management officials
• Environmental emergency response personnel
• Small businesses
• Agricultural operators
• Local and neighbouring watershed boards
• Environmental organizations
• Other community partners and private land owners
• Recreational users

Simple ways to help protect source water

These are things everyone should practice to help protect our source water:

• Oil tanks used for home heating can leak and contaminate nearby groundwater. Have tanks checked regularly for leaks
• Inspect and maintain septic systems regularly to ensure septic is not impacting nearby groundwater or waterbodies
• Avoid using chemicals or overapplying fertilizers on your lawn or gardens as they will run off into nearby waterbodies and seep into groundwater 
• Never pour unused products, medications, or hazardous liquids down the drain or toilet
• Avoid using chemicals or overapplying fertilizers on your lawn or gardens as they will run off into nearby groundwater and waterbodies
• Use sand rather than road salt or chemical de-icers. If road salt is used, use it sparingly
• Keep agricultural materials, especially animal waste, away from creeks, wells, vulnerable aquifers, and other waterbodies
• Always clean up waste from your pets and discourage waterfowl from spending time on your lawn (if you live on a waterbody) by leaving riparian vegetation