New Walkerton Clean Water Centre Opens
McGuinty Government’s Strong Actions Protect Drinking Water
The new state-of-the-art Walkerton Clean Water Centre officially opens today.
The facility trains drinking water system operators from across Ontario and includes a demonstration water distribution system to offer more courses and hands-on training. It will also have greater capacity to host seminars and information sessions, and conduct research. This centre was established in response to a recommendation of the Walkerton Inquiry.
In addition, Ontario has put in place strong measures to ensure safe drinking water including:
- Implementing all 121 actions recommended in the reports from the Walkerton Inquiry led by Associate Chief Justice Dennis O’Connor.
- Protecting drinking water from the source to the tap through an extensive network of safeguards and oversight measures.
- Requiring Ontario communities to determine what measures are needed to protect their water sources and how best to carry them out.
As part of the Open Ontario Plan, the government is also taking steps to make Ontario the leading clean water jurisdiction in North America. The proposed Water Opportunities and Water Conservation Act would drive water conservation and create more Ontario jobs in the growing global market for clean water technology.
QUICK FACTS
- Over 23,000 people have been trained at the centre since it opened in 2004.
- The government has invested $30 million since 2004 to operate the centre and build the new facility.
- The new building is designed and built to conform to the LEED Gold standard.
