In May 2000, water contaminated by a deadly strain of E. coli bacteria made its way into the municipal water system of the community of Walkerton, Ontario. Tragically, seven people died and thousands of others became ill from drinking the contaminated water. As a result, the provincial government launched the Walkerton Inquiry. In 2002, Justice Dennis O'Connor revealed a number of recommendations with respect to protecting the province’s drinking water sources. Among his recommendations Justice O’Connor noted the importance of taking a “multi-barrier approach” to preventing contamination, starting with protection at the water’s source. Hence, the term Source Protection was born. Click here for more on the Walkerton Report.