The proposed amendments will…

The proposed amendments will ensure appropriate environmental protections are in place while reducing regulatory burden for construction and infrastructure projects.
The proposed amendments will most certainly reduce the regulatory burden and costs for developers and home builders but will NOT ensure appropriate environmental protections are in place to protect the safety and security of water.
This regulation allows too much flexibility –
By removing the volumetric water taking limit of 400,000 litres of ground water per day allows unlimited amounts of water taking.
In an area where there are several residential and commercial/industrial developments proposed this could mean limitless amounts of water taking. Many of these same communities rely on ground water as their only source of drinking water. By allowing self registration and not even a requirement to advise the local conservation authority water shortages could become the common result. Who then is going to come up with an alternative? Not the builders but the local population who will have to pay for an alternate water source to service the citizens.
It is stated that:
• all registered activities will be required to comply with applicable regulatory requirements designed to protect the natural environment
• all registered activities will be required to comply with the criteria contained in the EASR regulation, including operating criteria that are protective of the public and the environment, including assessment requirements, public notification protocols, surface water protections, erosion and sediment control measures, contingency plans, record keeping provisions and public complaint procedures
• all registered activities will be required to be implemented in accordance with water taking and discharge reports and plans that are prepared by a qualified person, who must meet minimum professional criteria
• all registered activities will be required to report their water taking amounts
• the ministry will retain its ability to inspect water taking activities and ensure that they are complying with all necessary legal requirements.

Who will know if these registered activities are being met? Not the conservation authority, not the Ministry. The Ministry will have the ability to inspect however would be unlikely to do that unless a complaint has been launched or as previously mentioned water shortages occur in the community where these activities are taking place.

Water is a precious commodity as we are learning very quickly through other parts of the world. These proposed changes will not provide more protection for our water resources, only make it easier and cheaper for developers. Ontarians deserve better than that.