The Shubenacadie River is an important part of life to the residents within its watershed, including Wellington, Waverley and Enfield. Not only does it provide a home for fish and wildlife, a haven for recreational pursuits, it is also a source of drinking water to some residents. Knowing the number of people pulling water from the lakes in the Shubenacadie River Headwaters is important for watershed management in protecting the environment as well as the residents.
The intent of this project is to conduct a survey and provide watershed protection information to residents who live along the unserviced portion of the watershed, to discover how many households are drawing their water from the Shubenacadie River headwater surface water or from wells. The project will increase knowledge about who is drawing water directly from the headwaters and create awareness to the community about nutrient inputs, as well as their impacts on water quality and on the health of the consumer over the long term. SWEPS crew members and the youth participating in this project will work together as a team to develop, publish and distribute educational materials (brochures and educational sessions for the public), and will serve as community leaders when meeting with local residents to share information about the lakes and their watersheds.
Wellington residents depend on the surface waters of the Shubenacadie River headwaters for their drinking water source. The education provided to residents door to door will raise awareness about which activities will affect their water quality and what they can do to minimize the effects on the quality of their water. The education provided will also benefit Halifax Water’s source water protection goals, particularly for the Collin’s Park watershed. Furthermore, this project will provide data that will enable deliberation of stronger water quality protection policy (e.g., buffer zones, restrictions of fertilizer use, sustainable land use planning and development regulations) over the long term.
If you have any questions or wish to contact a member of the SWEPS team requarding the survey click here.
Other Resources
- Taking Care of Your Water Supply – Nova Scotia Environment
- Take Care of Your Home Sewage Disposal System – Nova Scotia Environment