Permit to Take Water for Bottling
In January 2001, a proposal for the renewal of a permit to take water (PTTW) was posted on the Environmental Registry that would grant a company permission to take a maximum of 773 litres of water per minute, up to 1,112,860 litres per day, 365 days per year, for bottling and sale. This PTTW is one of several major water taking permits issued in the Town of Erin. Concern has been raised that the cumulative impacts of these operations may impair the supply and quality of groundwater in the Township of Erin and the health of the local watershed. MOEE received nine comments in response to this proposal, all of which opposed the PTTW. Some opposed the export of bottled water to the United States and other countries; several of these opposed the sale of water for profit in general. Local residents alleged that the cumulative permitted water taking exceeded the recharge rate of the aquifer and would lead to water shortages in the area.
Many of the local residents observed that several bottling operations already had permits to take water from the area, and questioned whether MOEE had sufficient groundwater data to determine the cumulative effects of PTTWs accurately. These concerns motivated MOEE to add conditions to the PTTW, issued in September 2001, to address the potential for interference with local water supplies. One condition states that if the PTTW interferes with other water supplies that were in use prior to the issuance of the PTTW, the company must either reduce the rate and amount of the taking, or provide another equivalent supply of water (such as bottled water). Also, the company must carry out a hydraulic monitoring program and maintain a daily record of amounts of water taken, and the rates and hours of operation. MOEE may also issue a notice to suspend or reduce the water taking during times of drought or water shortage.
| Recommendation 2:
The ECO recommends that the Ministry of Environment and Energy explicitly consider its Statement of Environmental Values when making final decisions on the instruments issued by the ministry, and ensure that this is documented. |
| This is an article from the 2001/02 Annual Report to the Legislature from the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario. |
Citing This Article
Environmental Commissioner of Ontario. 2002. "Permit to Take Water for Bottling." Developing Sustainability, ECO Annual Report, 2001-02. Toronto, ON : Environmental Commissioner of Ontario. 14.
