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This presentation draws on research undertaken for a paper produced for the Federationof Canadian Municipalities, Municipal Governments and the Protection of WaterSources. This work examined what municipalities could do to immediately protectwatersheds and their source water, without waiting for changes to legislation. (It wascommissioned as part of a larger work by the Canadian Council of Ministers of theEnvironment (CCME), From Source to Tap: Guidance on the Multi-Barrier Approach toSafe Drinking Water (2004)).Municipal government has considerable power and influence to protect the communityasset of source drinking water. It will be argued that it is at the municipal level that thereare the greatest opportunities to have a positive impact on water sources.This paper examines the broad range of practical examples of what municipalities cando to protect source water that include:tapping into existing networks;supporting existing watershed institutions and processes;undertaking education and awareness programs;dealing with existing threats; and,preventing or minimizing future threats.Municipalities can protect and improve their catchments and source water through acritical review and adjustment of their own operations.The paper also considers some difficult approaches such as giving drinking water qualityprimacy in development approvals. Includes abstract only.

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Edition: Vol. - No. Published: 06/17/2005 Number of Pages: 2File Size: 1 file , 320 KB