Having dealt with the Permit…

Having dealt with the Permit To Take Water program and the effects of the water takings under those Permits for many years, it is obvious that those opposing the issuance of permits to bottled water takers simply can't comprehend or possibly even want to listen to facts indicating how minuscule the entire combined impact of all takers has on groundwater resources throughout the Province.

While it may sound reasonable to require consumptive users to pay for the water resource they in turn sell, charging a private enterprise for a renewable natural resource like water creates a dangerous precedent considering municipal water supplies are also Permitted water takers dependent on ground & surface water resources throughout the Province. While there is a charge to submit and process municipal permit applications there is no charge to the municipalities for their consumptive use.

Municipal ground and surface water takings are by far the highest water takings throughout the Province and would probably put many municipalities in financial difficulty if they too were required to pay for usage.

In summary, the moratorium on Permits to bottled water operations has no sound basis and is a complete waste of time.