Guelph, Aberfoyle, Elora,…

Guelph, Aberfoyle, Elora, and all of the cities in Wellington County rely on aquifers and surface water, not Great Lakes water like the extreme vast majority of communities in Ontario. With a growing population, there will be a growing demand for this water. With climate change, more extreme weather patterns, including extended droughts are expected. This will have a strain on the water table. Not only should the moratorium be extended, but water bottling should also be scaled back within 10 years to ensure these communities have sustainable supplies for the growing populations and local farmers.

Conventional wisdom and introductory climate science suggest that the water cycle replaces all of the water taken from a watershed, through rain and snow. However, modern science isn't so sure. With technologies like asphalt and tile drainage, we've created technologies that return stormwater to creeks, streams, and rivers quickly, which eventually end up in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. The technologies are great! No one likes stepping in puddles of mud and farmers need to get on their land in the early spring to make sure they get high yields. However, it is unknown what long-term effect these technologies will have on our hydrogeology. Will aquifers replenish at the same rate as they have done historically? What rate is that? Is that enough to meet the needs of future generations? With so many unknowns, and as a resident of Guelph who believes in full disclosure, I would urge the province to err on the side of caution and conservation.

The water bottling industry is also not required in the vast majority of markets it sells its products in. Ethically, I fully support shipping water to indigenous communities on boil water advisories and Flint, Michigan. However, Ontario tap water is better and cleaner water than a lot of the bottled water anyway!

Not only is the industry not required, but it also produces excess emissions to create the bottles and ship the water through diesel trucks. After the bottles are consumed, many of them end up as litter in Ontario's parks, and tributaries. This hurts habitat and is an eyesore for communities across Ontario.

All of the issues I have listed can be avoided by following the 3 R's, in order, by reducing the amount of Ontario's water going to bottled water. If this government is serious about its mandate for conservation and reducing litter in Ontario it will extend the water bottling moratorium and phase out this inefficient industry within 10 years.