The question of whether or…

The question of whether or not Ontario's groundwater resources are being threatened is a relative newcomer to the public's awareness of environmental issues. However, it is a critical question demanding immediate investigation. It's no accident that companies like Nestle want to tap into Ontario's pristine water supplies; right now they are cheap, poorly protected by legislation and offer massive profits to water bottling companies. What is NOT in the public eye are other huge industrial users of groundwater resources, such as quarry operators who pay virtually nothing for the massive amounts of water they use in the processing of stone. Of even greater concern are a spate of new proposals, such as James Dick Construction's "Hidden Quarry" proposal in Guelph Eramosa Township that contends that blasting 27m below the water table will have no effect on local water supplies, despite per reviews by acclaimed experts that refute the findings of company studies. Thank goodness there are citizen groups around the province that are sounding the alarm about damaging the very geological features of this province that provide us with the world's best drinking water. Far too often, quarry operators leave open sores in the earth that invite groundwater contamination. Extension of the moratorium on groundwater bottling is a critically important step to ensuring we do not "foul our own nest", but only just a minor step on the road to arriving at a water protection and use strategy in this province we will be pleased to tell our grandchildren about, that we did for them! Ontario's water filtration systems such as the Galt Paris Moraine, Oak Ridges Moraine, etc, all must remain off limits to industry.