PROTECTING WATER FROM SOURCE TO SIP:

For Immediate Release

The Quinte Source Protection Authority is thrilled to announce an innovative partnership with Prince Eddy’s Brewing Company in Prince Edward County, ON. A new locally made lager showcases the important message of protecting drinking water sources through the slogan: Great beer starts with clean water. This message stands true as the brewery takes its municipal water from Picton Bay and uses that to make a variety of lagers and IPAs.

“This partnership is incredibly important in helping us spread the message of protecting drinking water sources”, says Natasha Mathieu, Source Water Protection Technical Assistant. “All of our drinking water sources are vulnerable to pollution and overconsumption. Protecting these sources improves the quality of life for local residents and supports sustainable communities now and into the future.”

Over half of the residents within the Quinte Watershed rely on groundwater sources (wells connected to aquifers), while the other half rely on surface water (intakes from lakes, rivers, the Bay of Quinte, and Lake Ontario). This campaign plays an important part in helping to educate the public on where their water comes from and why it is so important to protect it, but also, highlights the link between clean drinking water and great beer.

“Breweries know the importance water quality has in making a top-notch brew.” Says Maxim Saumure, General Manager at Prince Eddy’s Brewing Company. The new lager, available now, is an exclusive addition to the brewery and showcases a unique collaboration between two local organizations.

The Quinte Source Protection program is represented by local stakeholders, including various levels of government, who help guide and establish initiatives relating to the protection of drinking water through policies, processes, and public education/outreach.

Saumure adds, “It’s rare that we can collaborate with organizations outside the industry, so joining forces with our local Source Water Protection Program was an easy decision. We at Prince Eddy’s pride ourselves in producing quality products and this partnership not only supports that, but it also easily conveys an important message about how our drinking water can impact our day to day lives.”

For SWP staff, Amy Dickens and Natasha Mathieu, creating new avenues to reach residents on the importance of protecting local drinking water sources is at the heart of what they do. Over the course of the last few years, the program has established a variety of new educational initiatives, aligning with Policy G-1 of the Quinte Source Protection Plan, including a radio contest and tour of a municipal drinking water treatment facility for school-aged children, as well as the Drinking Water Wise Webinar series that features different industry professionals and topics.

Amy Dickens, Source Water Protection Coordinator says, “This lager refreshingly connects our program with a new audience and provides an education piece on how the actions we take can affect the water we depend on.”

You can purchase Eddy’s Export Euro Lager at Prince Eddy’s Brewing Company located at 3 MacSteven Drive in Picton ON. More information about the partnership can be found under the Education and Outreach page at QuinteSourceWater.ca

Dickens adds, “We invite you to raise your glass of this local lager, take a sip, and be part of the drinking water protection story in the Quinte area.”

About Quinte Conservation
Quinte Conservation is a community-based environmental protection agency that serves 18 municipalities in the watersheds of the Moira, Napanee and Salmon Rivers, and Prince Edward County. Our programs and services support watershed residents and municipalities to create a sustainable ecosystem where people and nature live in harmony. More information about Quinte Conservation is available at www.quinteconservation.ca.

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For immediate inquiries, contact:
Natasha Mathieu
Source Water Protection Technical Assistant
613-968-3434 ext.165
nmathieu@quinteconservation.ca