Infrastructure and Land Use: Water Quantity and Supply
The watershed has an abundant quantity of water. With the increasing population, and the impacts of climate change, Canada’s record of being one of the highest consumers of water in the world will need to change.
In the Severn Sound watershed:
- Municipal water comes from a combination of surface water and groundwater supplies.
- Water and wastewater services are managed by individual municipalities despite the fact that all systems rely on shared regional water resources.
- Water infrastructure includes 9 municipal wastewater and 39 water systems in Severn Sound, in addition to a number of inter-municipal servicing agreements.
- Facilities include groundwater production wells, above and in-ground storage facilities, groundwater supply systems, surface water treatment plants.
- Wastewater effluent is discharged to:
- Severn Sound at Port Severn, Victoria Harbour, Port McNicoll (Tay), Midland, Penetanguishene, Penetanguishene Mental Health Centre
- Coldwater River at Coldwater(Severn Twp)
- Wye River at Elmvale (Springwater Twp)
- Current water and waste water treatment facilities are sufficient in most areas to handle the existing populations, but insufficient to handle future growth.