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8- The Oakville Beaver, Friday July 27, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com Your Halton Connection August `07 www.halton.ca Supplying you with quality drinking water by Regional Chair Gary Carr Water Conservation Tips · Lawns only need 1 inch or 2.5 cm of water per week. · Leave grass clippings on your lawn; this saves 25 per cent of your fertilizer requirements (saving you water, time and money). · Water new plants until well established and then only as needed. · Improve the health of the soil in your garden by adding organic material, such as compost or manure. Organic material retains water and moderates soil temperatures, which can help your plants cope during hot, dry weather. · Create a xeriscape garden. Xeriscaping is landscaping with the goal of reducing water usage. · Use mulch around plants to retain moisture. Mulch keeps soil cool and moist, controls erosion and discourages weed growth. Water, we often take it for granted. You turn on the tap and it's there. Fresh drinking water is one of the most precious resources we have. We can all play a stewardship role in protecting and preserving our water supply, a resource we are truly fortunate to have in this region. In the 2007-2010 Strategic Plan Halton Regional Council has recognized the importance of water with the goal to "enhance, protect and maintain the quality, quantity and safety of groundwater and surface water". We are planning ahead for growth with the Burloak Water Purification Plant currently under construction and scheduled to be complete in early 2008, to service newly developed areas in the region. A new Water and Wastewater Master Plan is being prepared in the development of the Sustainable Halton Plan. Sustainable Halton is the blueprint for building sustainable and healthy communities in our region for generations to come. Halton's Water is Clearly Top Quality Since the Walkerton inquiry and the report by Justice Dennis O'Connor, the quality of drinking water has been a concern for many residents in Ontario. Through the Operation Clean Water Program, the Province of Ontario implements and enforces Drinking Water Standards to protect public health. Providing Halton residents and businesses with clean, safe and top quality drinking water is a commitment our highlyqualified, licensed and dedicated staff take very seriously. Halton's drinking water consistently tests better than Ontario Drinking Water Standards. Halton's Water Quality Reports are available on our website at www.halton.ca or call 905-825-6000 or 1-866-4HALTON. Testing your well water There are approximately 7500 privately owned wells in Halton Region. Although homeowners are responsible for maintaining private wells, Halton Region strives to provide residents who use private wells with information and tools to ensure the safety of their well water supply. Private well water should be tested for bacteria at least three times per year. Bacteria testing is available, free of charge, through Halton Region's Health Department and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. Water testing bottles can be ordered via the telephone or our website, or they can be picked up at the following locations between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.: Halton Region Administrative Centre 1151 Bronte Road, Oakville Milton Town Hall 43 Brown Street, Milton Georgetown Health 93 Main Street South, Georgetown Conservation Halton 2596 Britannia Road West, Burlington/Lowville 372 Queen Street, Acton (Wednesdays only from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) Halton Region's Health Department also runs four Well Water Information Sessions throughout the year. Our fall session is beginning in September. Watch our website or your local newspaper for more information. If you have questions or concerns about your well water, please call Halton Region to speak to a Public Health Inspector. Where does the water in your tap come from? Halton Region owns and operates five Water Purification Plants that provide more than 182,613 cubic metres of clean, fresh drinking water every day for use by Halton residents and businesses. That's enough water to fill approximately 73 Olympic size swimming pools. The City of Burlington, the Town of Oakville and part of the Town of Milton are supplied with water from Lake Ontario. The remainder of Milton and the Town of Halton Hills are supplied through an aquifer or wellbased system. Many residents, particularly in the rural area, have their own private well (see sidebar for more information). Be Water Wise! Though it may seem we may have an endless supply of drinking water in Halton, there are occasions when extended periods of hot, dry weather can put a strain on our system. Halton may put water use restrictions in effect to ensure an adequate supply for essential household needs and for firefighting. To find out if restrictions are in place, please visit our website at www.halton.ca or contact us. Water is a precious resource and we encourage Halton residents to be Water Wise both inside and outside the home. In Halton homeowners use 69 per cent of all the drinking water produced in the region. So a little bit of water conservation by all of us would make a significant difference. On this page you'll find some great water conservation tips. For more information contact us for your copy of the Household Guide to Water Efficiency, free of charge or visit www.halton.ca/waterconservation. August Meetings at Halton Region Headquarters August 6 Offices closed for holiday There are no meetings for August This page has been donated by this newspaper to communicate important information to Halton residents at no cost to taxpayers. We welcome your feedback. Contact Access Halton at accesshalton@halton.ca 905-825-6000 · Toll free: 1-866-4HALTON · TTY: 905-827-9833 · www.halton.ca The Regional Municipality of Halton · 1151 Bronte Rd., Oakville, Ontario L6M 3L1