Protecting water from field to faucet

The runoff from agricultural operations can have a significant impact on surface water sources of drinking water such as streams, lakes, and rivers, and groundwater wells.

Pollutants like fertilizers, pesticides, and heavy metals found on agricultural fields attach to soil particles and can impact surface water and groundwater by spreading chemical toxins and bacteria. As a result, drinking water can be contaminated by algae blooms, oxygen depletion and pathogenic diseases, impacting both humans and livestock.

Causes of Contamination:

• Manure runoff from animal waste and livestock in watercourses
• Fertilizer application runoff (nitrogen and phosphorus)
• Lack of buffer zones (vegetation, trees) that separate working fields from watercourses
• Poor pesticide storage, application or handling that lead to spills or runoff
• Chemicals or pharmaceuticals in livestock waste
• Failing septic systems and abandoned wells provide gateways from contaminants to enter surface or groundwater
• Unregulated dams and/or water diversions
• Fuel tank leaks or spills 

From fertilizer application to livestock management, decisions in the field or on the farmstead can affect the water coming out of the tap for you and your neighbours. Learning and implementing today’s best practices can improve water quality for future generations.

Livestock that roam free through watercourses can erode shorelines and contaminate water through their waste. Consider fencing off or bridging streams and/or providing animals with alternative water sources.

Contaminants can affect groundwater by seeping through underground pathways into your well water. An Environmental Farm Plan can provide a well rounded plan for protecting your own water and that of your neighbours.

Contact Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association for more information.

Canadian agriculture relies on healthy ecosystems to provide enough clean water for drinking, livestock, and irrigation.

Farm operations that use “Best” or “Beneficial” Management Practices (BMPs) are recognized as good stewards of water and land resources.

Farmers can reduce erosion and sedimentation by as much as 90% by applying management practices such as planting windbreaks and buffer zones that control the volume and flow rate of runoff water. This keeps the soil in place and reduces soil transport.

Other key approaches include integrated pest management and use of proper waste management techniques. 

Many of the strategies used by farmers to reduce contamination of water sources also help to produce good crop yields and reduce costs by saving money spent on fertilizers and pesticides.