The Thames-Sydenham and Region was established as a result of the Walkerton water tragedy of 2000, which claimed the lives of 7 people and sickened over 2000. To protect municipal sources of drinking water, the Clean Water Act was passed in 2006 and 19 regional Source Protection Committees were established in Ontario to develop local policies. On September 17, 2015, the Source Protection Plan for the Thames-Sydenham and Region was approved by Glen Murray, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, and implementation of the policies within the Plan took effect December 31, 2015.