Healthy Water Award

The Healthy Water Award is presented to individuals and groups who have completed a project that improves, supports or protects the water quality in the Lake Simcoe watershed. Projects could include stormwater management, water conservation, streambank and shoreline restoration or stabilization, low impact development techniques and source water protection.

2025 Nominations are now closed.

The Healthy Water award was presented to the following recipients in 2025:

City of Barrie

The City of Barrie first piloted LittaTrap technology in 2019, capturing 473 pieces of litter in just 5 months. Based on that success, the city installed an additional 112 LittaTrap units across its downtown core in the fall of 2021 and subsequent annual monitoring impressive quantities of sediment (273.47kilograms) and trash (18.52kilograms) was captured. In 2023, staff completed three samplings over 30 LittaTraps and found that more material was collected in the LittaTraps than in the previous year.

Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury

In May 2024, the Town’s Stormwater Division, in collaboration with the Green Initiatives Committee, launched a pilot project to install 32 LittaTraps across the town to capture stormwater pollutants. Strategically placed in high-pedestrian traffic areas and locations lacking stormwater management facilities, these devices targeted untreated runoff to prevent debris from entering tributaries feeding the West Holland River. Waste audits conducted in September 2024 and April 2025 revealed noteworthy results: the fall cleanout collected 263.47 kilograms (94% sediment, 4.7% organic matter, 1.3% plastics/litter), and the spring cleanout captured 511.87 kilograms (50.4% sediment, 46.1% organic matter, 3.5% plastics/litter).

Town of Georgina

The Town of Georgina installed 14 LittaTraps along Lake Drive East, near Lake Simcoe and partnered with the Conservation Authority to monitor results, including regular measurement and analysis of collected materials. Between October 2023 and April 2025, the traps captured 452 kilograms of material (447 kilograms of sediment and organic debris, and 4 kilograms of litter (primarily cigarette butts and plastics). On average, each trap removed 14.35 grams of phosphorus, with a maximum of 33.2 grams in a single unit. Preventing phosphorus, sediment and macroplastics from entering Lake Simcoe helps reduce harmful algal blooms and the formation of microplastics in receiving waters.

Township of Uxbridge

The Township of Uxbridge upgraded the South Balsam Stormwater Pond and implemented using pretreatment devices in their catch basins to reduce the stress put on the newly refurbished stormwater pond. The 67 pre-treatment devices were inserted into existing catch basins to prevent sediment scouring, capturing it for easy removal during routine maintenance and cleaning. This cost-effective, low-disruption approach extends the pond’s lifespan and protects the watershed’s health, benefiting aquatic ecosystems and water quality. A single device can reduce particulate phosphorus from entering the local watercourses by an estimated 0.021 kilograms annually.

Wildridge Farm (Town of Innisfil)

To help protect the Lake Simcoe watershed, Wildridge Farm has completed several restoration projects focused on improving livestock management and reducing phosphorus runoff. Past projects have included installing fencing to keep livestock out of watercourses, clean water diversion systems, improved manure management, and planting native trees on their own. In 2024, they completed a second manure management project, cementing approximately 741 square metres of cattle barnyard to allow for winter manure cleanout and prevent manure leaching during spring snowmelt.

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