Water

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Recommendations on the Review of the 1987 Canada-United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA)

Pollution Probe has produced a series of three reports, each providing insights and advice to the Great Lakes Water Quality Board of The International Joint Commission, regarding the upcoming review of the GLWQA. The Phase I report looks at whether the Agreement should be reviewed and the role that the IJC could play in a review. Phase II expands on Phase I, and Phase III focuses on the governance and institutional arrangements of the GLWQA, and provides suggestions on ways to conduct a review process.

"Advice on Review of GLWQA - Phase I" (107KB)
"Advice on Review of GLWQA - Phase II" (112KB)
"Advice on Review of GLWQA - Phase III" (205KB)

Managing Shared Watersheds
November 2004

A practical integrated watershed-based information system that can be used in planning activities by a wide range of stakeholders enabling them to share responsibility and take actions to protect and improve the watershed.

The Source Water Protection Primer
May 2004

Much more needs to be done to protect the sources of our drinking water. Better source protection means preventing the kind of pollution that later must be removed or treated, and it means paying more attention to watershed management. Many Canadians are talking about Source Protection — and there is a wide consensus that it is the right thing to do and that it is time to make it happen. The Source Water Protection Primer has been created to inform public discussion on what source protection is and how we can make it happen.

Download Primer in PDF format (7.4MB)

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Exploring Applications of the Net Gain Principle
February 2004

Pollution Probe believes that the Net Gain Principle has a significant potential to lead us closer to improvements in the quality of our environment and closer to achieving development that is sustainable. With the support of The Joyce Foundation, Pollution Probe has developed a report called Exploring Applications of the Net Gain Principle. This report builds on Pollution Probe’s work on ecological currency concepts as well as an issues paper commissioned for the Neptis Foundation (see next publication). It explores ways that the net gain principle has been developed, measured and used in various applications worldwide. Pollution Probe believes the application of the net gain principle may help bring about the paradigm shift we are looking for as society strives towards achieving sustainable development. As a result, our goal is to engage stakeholders in constructive dialogue around this promising and timely principle.

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Air Quality, Water and Soil: Issue Paper No. 2
September 2003

This is the second in a series of nine issue papers commissioned by the Neptis Foundation for consideration by the Central Ontario Smart Growth Panel established by the Government of Ontario. This paper argues for an approach to air, water, and soil conservation that goes beyond "no net loss" of quality or function to "net gain". That is, changes in the environment should, over time, bring about improvements in the quality and function of air, water, and soil in the Central Ontario Zone. The principle requires monitoring environmental indicators, and the paper suggests 10 potential indicators that could be used. The paper also looks at major trends in air, water, and soil quality, their current and long-term effects, and proposed solutions for each area.

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NOTE: The entire series of Smart Growth issue papers can be viewed on the Neptis Foundation website.

Drinking Water Primer
June 2002

The current high level of public interest and concern about drinking water safety and quality makes this a timely publication. To foster improved understanding on the vital subject of ensuring clean and safe water, Pollution Probe is pleased to offer this Drinking Water Primer to the public.

Download full copy of this report in PDF format (22MB)

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The Management and Financing of Drinking Water Systems: Sustainable Asset Management: A Submission to the Walkerton Inquiry by Pollution Probe
April 2001

This paper constitutes a submission to the Walkerton Inquiry.  It provides information on how various jurisdictions manage and finance their drinking water systems and proposes a new approach based on the concept of long-term sustainability and the principle of full cost accounting.

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The Acid Rain Primer 
June 2000
Although we haven't heard about it for quite a while, the acid rain problem is far from being solved. There is much work to be done, and Canadians need to be reacquainted with the issue of acid rain and what is at stake. As we enter the new millennium, acid rain is a good news, bad news story. The good news is that, over the past several years, Canada has met all of its goals in reducing emissions of sulphur dioxide, a key cause of acid rain. Even better, some lakes have started to show signs of recovery. The bad news is that, in spite of this good work, we have found that our original reduction goals were not tough enough to protect some areas of Canada from acid rain, especially parts of Ontario and Quebec and much of the Atlantic provinces. The "Acid Rain Primer" covers many aspects of the problem including US and Canadian policies, area monitoring, as well as current and future situations in Canada 42 pages).  

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Niagara: A River to Save 
September 1999
One of the purposes of this report is to chronicle the efforts of individuals, organizations like Pollution Probe and Operation Clean Niagara, and government agencies such as Environment Canada and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment in restoring the Niagara River to health. It is hoped that by telling the story of the work that has already been done to restore the river, others will be inspired to follow suit.

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The Water We Drink: A Report on Pollution Probe's Conference "The Water We Drink - Examining the Quality of Ontario's Drinking Water" 
November 16-17th, 1998
Ontario has, in the past, been viewed as a world leader in the provision of treated drinking water to its citizens. While most treated water in Ontario meets national and Ontario drinking water objectives, there are some concerns about whether these objectives are themselves adequate and are updated in a timely manner as new information comes forth. The objectives of the conference "The Water We Drink", were to examine current and future issues regarding the availability of safe, clean drinking water in the Great Lakes Basin and throughout Ontario; to recommend actions to ensure that future drinking water supplies meet the needs of the people of Ontario; and, to prepare reader-friendly proceedings that respond to the ongoing public demand for reliable information on drinking water quality, and that identify and discuss major drinking water quality issues (87 pages).

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The Great Lakes Primer
Published 1986
In the Great Lakes Basin, human civilization and nature are closely connected in a complex system. Today, the health of this area is threatened. The natural equilibrium has been drastically altered by increased population and industrial activities. This book covers the important issues facing the future of the Great Lakes in twelve chapters which include "The Natural and Social History", "Toxics in the Lakes", "Wildlife in Distress", "Out of the Mouth of Sewers" and "Runoff" (58 pages). 

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