C. H. Demill Holdings Inc. - Permit to take water

Comments relevant to the water taking proposal were considered as part of the review of the application. The main concerns raised were regarding the following:

Comments received expressed concerns with impacts on the environment and sustainability of the groundwater aquifer, quantity of water requested by the applicant, impacts to local wells, well interference, and drinking water users. Commenters were concerned about the company’s compliance and complaints procedure. Concerns were also raised about prioritization of business over residential water users, and that that commodification of water was not supported.

This application is an amendment of an existing Permit to Take Water (PTTW) to combine water takings from the existing Long’s Quarry, and the new Melrose Quarry. Both quarries are licensed under the Aggregate Resources Act. The accumulated runoff water in the new Melrose quarry will flow through a quarry floor ditch to the existing sump/sewage works in Long’s Quarry. The technical report notes that although the Long’s-Melrose quarry is deemed to be groundwater taking, it is understood that the vast majority of water pumped is precipitation that is then discharged to the environment via Blessington Creek. Discharge of water is regulated under a separate Environmental Compliance Approval. The scope of the PTTW review was to consider potential impacts to the environment and water users resulting from the taking of water.

The ministry’s technical reviewers considered the data collected under the site’s existing groundwater and surface water monitoring program and the conclusions and recommendations from the Permit Holder’s technical representative. The monitoring program includes but is not limited to maintaining pumping records, water level monitoring at approx. 50 monitoring wells surrounding the site and monitoring of groundwater drawdown to ensure the water levels stay above the defined trigger level outlined in the Contingency Plan. Impacts to Blessington Creek are also monitored by measuring water levels in the Creek and groundwater elevations near the Creek. The Permit Holder is required to assess all data and submit an annual monitoring report to the ministry for review.

The permit also contains requirements for Contingency Planning and a Complaint Response Procedure. In addition to the water taking limits outlined in Table A of the Permit, the Permit contains further water taking restrictions during declared Low Water Advisories and requires the Permit holder to adhere to the trigger mechanism and water conservation measures.

The report concludes that there is no significant groundwater drawdown beyond the immediate quarry area, with no impacts from the water taking expected beyond 70 meters from the edge of the quarry. In addition, there are monitoring wells installed as part of the monitoring well network surrounding the sites and select supply wells within 500 m of Long’s Quarry have been subjected to regular monthly water level monitoring. There are no private wells located within the estimated radius of influence of 70 meters from the Quarry.

To assess impacts to the local aquifer and existing well users, the ministry’s technical reviewer considered all of the above monitoring data in addition to well records for properties in the area. Ministry staff are aware that some wells in the vicinity of the quarry are vulnerable to seasonal declines in groundwater elevations under drought conditions, however groundwater elevations in these wells have typically recovered to long-term average elevations in the fall when groundwater is naturally recharged by precipitation. The monitoring program has demonstrated that the private wells have not been impacted by the dewatering of the quarry. As such, there is currently no evidence that nearby private wells are being affected by the quarry. Water users suspecting impact to their wells from the quarry can contact the Permit Holder and/or the Kingston District Office to document concerns.