As a citizen and tax payer…

As a citizen and tax payer of Ontario, I would like to applaud the extension of the moratorium on new or increasing permits to take groundwater to produce bottled water for 9 months, ending October 1, 2020.

I do have concerns that this extension would be long enough for provincial officials to consult with the public and determine how they can protect water resources for future generations. Why wasn't the moratorium extended for an additional full year or longer?

At the end of this moratorium I would like to see a very large reduction in the amount of permits that are given out in Ontario. In fact, not to renew, increase or issue any new permits within a 100 km radius of households in Ontario when citizens are facing water shortages.

I also have grave concerns for the extremely low fees that are currently being charged for taking water in Ontario. $500 per million litres of water, plus an additional $3.71 per million litres of water? How is this fair to Ontarians, some of who go without potable water because of the loss of their groundwater by bottled water companies? Should there be any new or expanded permits issued in Ontario, the fees associated with these companies access to a resource that is owned collectively by the citizens of Ontario should be increased a hundred fold. The increased revenue that is collected by the province could then be put into improving water access or replacing aging water infrastructure in Ontario.

I thank you for taking my comments into consideration.