Comment
I oppose Ontario’s proposal under ERO number 019-6853 to remove the current limit and allow up to 379,000 litres of groundwater-taking per day without permit. I also oppose under 019-6853 the proposed restriction of public consultation and removal of the requirement to notify conservation authorities. If approved, these proposals will put the ecosystem, human health, and municipal infrastructure at risk.
I live in Waterloo Region which relies primarily on ground water for its water supply. I am greatly concerned by anything which threatens its quantity or quality, such as the proposal to streamline water takings for construction site dewatering.
Historically, the centre of the city of Waterloo was a swamp and a series of springs, and as a result, builders pump thousands and thousands of litres of clean, clear, drinkable water out of their excavations -- for underground parking among other things -- for months at a time. Currently, there is an extraction limit of 50,000 litres a day, and builders have to consult the public and notify conservation authorities.
If ERO number 019-6853 proceeds, builders will be able to pump out almost eight times the current limit -- up to 379,000 litres a day -- without the need for permission or notice to conservation authorities or the public. Simple registration on the Environmental Activity and Sector Registry will be all that is required.
Other municipalities like Guelph, Wellington County and Orangeville are also worried about their water supply not being able to keep up with demand. We should not risk a future that could force us to depend on imported bottled water.
Submitted October 25, 2023 12:50 PM
Comment on
Streamlining permissions for water takings for construction site dewatering activities and foundation drains
ERO number
019-6853
Comment ID
93808
Commenting on behalf of
Comment status