E-M:/ ontario water takings moratorium

["Dave Dempsey" <davemec@voyager.net>]

Ministry of the Environment
Ministère de 
l’Environnement
 
December 18, 2003

ONTARIO’S  MORATORIUM ON NEW AND EXPANDED WATER-TAKING PERMITS FOR PRODUCTS SUCH AS BOTTLED WATER

On December 18, 2003, the McGuinty Government took 
action to stop the reckless giveaway of Ontario’s precious water resources by 
announcing an immediate one-year moratorium on new and expanded water-taking 
permits for products such as bottled water.
 
What the 
moratorium applies to:
 
The moratorium is in effect from 
December 18, 2003 until December 31, 2004.  It applies to new and expanded 
water-taking permits for products such as bottled water, and for other uses that 
remove water from the watershed.  It applies in Southern Ontario and in 
those Northern Ontario watersheds that are covered by a conservation 
authority.  There are five conservation authorities in Northern Ontario: 
Lakehead, Mattagami Region, Nickel District, North Bay-Mattawa and Sault Ste. 
Marie Region.  These are areas where population density is greater, there 
are more competing demands for these types of water takings and there is a water 
management authority in place.  
 

Municipalities are not 
affected by the moratorium, and this will not affect their ability to draw 
clean, safe water for municipal use, residential consumption or emergencies such 
as fire fighting. Permits for agricultural purposes are also not affected by the 
moratorium.
 
The moratorium would prohibit the issuance of new or 
expanding permits to take water for the following 
purposes:

§         beverage 
manufacturing, including the manufacturing or production of bottled water or 
water in other containers;
§        fruit 
or vegetable canning or pickling;
§        
ready-mix concrete manufacturing; 
§        aggregate processing where the 
aggregate and the water taken are incorporated into a product in the form of a 
slurry; and
§        the manufacturing or 
production of products where more than a total of 50,000 litres of the water 
that is taken, is or will be incorporated into a product on any day in the 
normal course of manufacturing or producing the product.

The moratorium 
would NOT apply 
to:

§         water taken for 
agricultural purposes, including aquaculture, nurseries, tree farms and sod 
farms;
§         water taken for 
municipal water supplies or sewage treatment 
plants;
§         dewatering of pits 
and quarries, and aggregate 
washing;
§         renewals of 
existing permits for the same volume from the same location and for the same 
purpose;
§         existing permits 
to take water.  However, the amount of water a permit holder may take will 
be frozen at the current amount of water being taken. Therefore, permits that 
allow for an increase for future water takings will be revoked and new permits 
will be issued to implement the freeze.
 
Why the need for a 
moratorium:
 
This moratorium on new and expanding 
water-taking permits for products such as bottled water is another important 
step to ensuring our sourcewater resources are soundly protected.  
 
Currently, permits to take water do not fully consider the effects 
of the water taking on the whole watershed.  This moratorium is intended to 
ensure this questionable practice does not continue while new rules are being 
developed.  
 
Ontario cannot continue to permit water bottlers 
and others who transfer a significant amount of water out of a watershed to take 
more and more water, until it fully understands the consequences of these 
additional stresses on both the watershed and local water supplies.  
 
The moratorium will provide time to review Ontario’s groundwater 
supplies and draft new rules for water taking.  Ontario will not grant new 
permits of this kind unless and until it is certain there is enough water in the 
watershed for this and future generations.
 
The McGuinty government 
also plans to stop giving away Ontario’s water for free. In the future, Ontario 
will charge water-bottling companies and other permit holders that remove water 
from watersheds.
 
The need for a comprehensive sourcewater 
protection framework:
 
The McGuinty government is committed 
to implementing all of Commissioner O’Connor’s recommendations in the Report 
of the Walkerton Inquiry, Parts One and Two.  As emphasized by 
Commissioner O’Connor, protecting sources of drinking water is a key component 
of an overall system of ensuring safe drinking water.  Commissioner 
O’Connor stressed that Ontario needs to ensure a comprehensive sourcewater 
protection framework is in place.  
 
The McGuinty government is 
not satisfied that Ontario has the right rules and legislative framework in 
place to protect our valuable water resources for future generations. The 
protection of sourcewater in Ontario is currently managed through a series of 
various initiatives. Presently, there is no comprehensive sourcewater protection 
framework in place.  
 
The McGuinty government is taking the 
first step towards introducing a law that would enhance protection of the lands 
that surround our vital water resources.  The appointment of two expert 
committees will help ensure we get the technical details and implementation 
right, when it comes to water taking rules and protecting water at the 
source.
 
The McGuinty government has committed to the development 
and implementation of a comprehensive sourcewater protection framework.  
The moratorium marks another important step towards ensuring Ontario’s 
sourcewater resources are soundly protected.  It is intended to ensure 
Ontario does not overstretch its water supply before the government begins 
implementing such an all-encompassing protection system.  
 
The 
government will release a White Paper in February to consult on the planning 
aspects of source protection legislation including the preparation, roles and 
responsibilities and approval of source protection plans. The government’s White 
Paper will also seek input on strengthening the permit to take water 
program.  New rules will be developed to define how water takings are to be 
assessed and by what means. The new rules will establish the conditions for 
lifting the moratorium on a watershed basis.
 
Contacts:
Arthur 
Chamberlain
Minister’s Office
(416) 314-5139

Mark 
Rabbior
Communications Branch
(416) 314-6666
 
Disponible en 
français
www.ene.gov.on.ca