This consultation was open from:
May 12, 2021
to June 11, 2021
Decision summary
This proposal is for the renewal of Permit to Take Water No. 8404-7YBLB2 for Robins Holdings Inc. and is for commercial purposes including water bottling. The new issued permit No. 0022-CL9PPA was issued on November 17, 2022, with an expiry date of November 17, 2032.
Location details
Site address
Lot 30, Concession 5
Alnwick/Haldimand,
ON
Canada
Site location map
The location pin reflects the approximate area where environmental activity is taking place.
View this location on a map opens link in a new windowProponent(s)
Robins Holdings Inc.
520 Holland Street West
Bradford,
ON
L3Z 0Y5
Canada
Decision details
After a thorough scientific and technical review, the director has renewed Robins Holdings Inc. Alnwich/Haldiman water taking for a period of 10 years with no increase in the water taking volume. Water will be taken from three drilled wells located at Lot: 30, Concession: 5, Township of Alnwick / Haldimand, County of Northumberland.
The Permit to Take Water (PTTW) contains strict conditions and safeguards to protect existing water users and the natural environment, including:
- continuous groundwater monitoring in observation and pumping wells
- quarterly water level in private domestic wells within 500 m of site, where permission granted
- monitoring of daily water taking rates and volumes
The ministry considered the need to protect the natural functions of the ecosystem, water availability for other users and the use of water for bottling. The ministry is satisfied that the approved PTTW is protective of the environment.
Details of the water taking are as follows:
Source of water: drilled well, MV-1
- purpose of taking: commercial bottled water
- maximum rate per minute (litres): 152
- maximum number of hours of taking per day: 24
- maximum volume per day (litres): 218,869
- maximum number of days of taking per year: 365
- length of time: 10 years
Source of water: drilled well, MV-3
- purpose of taking: commercial, miscellaneous
- maximum rate per minute (litres): 23
- maximum number of hours of taking per day: 24
- maximum volume per day (litres): 32,400
- maximum number of days of taking per year: 365
- length of time: 10 years
Source of water: drilled well, restaurant
- purpose of taking: commercial, on-site supply
- maximum rate per minute (litres): 23
- maximum number of hours of taking per day: 24
- maximum volume per day (litres): 32,731
- maximum number of days of taking per year: 365
- length of time: 10 years
The ministry is satisfied that the water taking does not interfere with private water supply wells located in the area, nor has the water taking resulted in unacceptable impacts to the environment. The PTTW has been issued with conditions requiring monitoring of local water levels to ensure the water taking remains sustainable. Records shall be assessed annually and reported to the ministry upon request for an amendment or renewal of this permit.
Issued Permits to Take Water can be viewed and downloaded at Access Ontario, by searching the approval number, 0022-CL9PPA, in the search field located at the top of the map, see “I want to…Search by Approval Number”, here: Access Environment
Access Environment displays the following information:
- business name
- facility address and location on an interactive map
- type of approval or registration from the ministry (view a PDF copy)
- date of issue
- status of the approval (approved, amended, revoked and/or replaced)
- status of the registration (registered, suspended, removed)
Effects of consultation
Comments relevant to the water taking proposal were considered as part of the review of the application. The comment was received online identifying concern with the sale/commodification of groundwater.
Ministry response
Over the past years, the ministry has thoroughly reviewed the province’s water taking policies, programs and science tools and held an independent third-party review of the findings on bottled water takings, which was completed by a panel of experts from Professional Geoscientists Ontario.
Ontario has strengthened groundwater protection by:
- Enhancing Ontario’s water taking program through regulatory amendments and providing new guidance to help permit holders to understand the new rules and how to operate within them.
- Giving host municipalities more direct input on allowing bottled water companies to withdraw new or increased amounts of groundwater in their communities.
- Charging a water bottling fee for water bottling companies that take groundwater, effective August 1, 2017.
- Hiring an experienced water resources consulting firm, BluMetric Environmental Inc., to assess water resources in the province, in addition to our own ongoing review and analysis of water taking in Ontario.
- Validating the ministry’s findings on water bottling through an independent third-party panel from the Professional Geoscientists Ontario.
In Ontario, water bottling facilities must apply for Permits to Take Water from groundwater sources if the facility plans to take more than 50,000 litres of water on any day.
Groundwater is water held underground in the soil or in pores and crevices in rock. It supplies water in wells and some streams, lakes and wetlands.
Ontario is committed to protecting water resources for families now and for future generations. It’s even more important as our population grows, and during hot conditions and periods of drought, which are projected to become more frequent because of climate change.
The independent third-party review validated our findings that water takings for bottling are managed sustainably in Ontario under existing legislation, regulation and guidance and are not impacting the sustainability of groundwater resources
The following municipalities / conservation authorities were notified by email:
- Northumberland County
- Alnwick Haldimand Township
- Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority
No comments or replies were received from the above municipal / conservation authority stakeholders.
The following Indigenous communities were notified and provided details of the proposed permit renewal:
- Alderville First Nation
- Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation
- Hiawatha First Nation
- Williams Treaties First Nations
- Curve Lake First Nation (FN)
Curve Lake First Nation responded to ministry notification and requested additional information regarding the proposed water taking. Robins Holdings Inc. and their consultant (Oakridge Environmental Limited) corresponded with Curve Lake First Nation on May 15, 2022 to provide the requested information regarding the water taking. No specific technical concerns with the proposed water taking were raised by Curve Lake First Nation during our review of this application. Prior to issue of this PTTW, on October 31, 2022, the ministry reached out to Curve Lake First Nation to confirm that the community had no further concerns or questions regarding the water taking.
Supporting materials
View materials in person
Some supporting materials may not be available online. If this is the case, you can request to view the materials in person.
Get in touch with the office listed below to find out if materials are available.
135 St Clair Ave W
Toronto,
ON
M4V 1P5
Canada
How to Appeal
This instrument decision can be appealed. You have 15 days from November 21, 2022 to begin the appeal process.
Carefully review the information below to learn more about the appeal process.
How to appealClick to Expand Accordion
Start the process to appeal
If you’re an Ontario resident, you can start the process to appeal this instrument decision.
First, you’ll need to seek leave (i.e. get permission) from the relevant appellate body to appeal the decision.
If the appellate body grants leave, the appeal itself will follow.
Seek leave to appeal
To seek leave to appeal, you need to do these three things:
- prepare your application
- provide notice to the minister
- mail your application to three parties
1. Prepare your application
You’ll need to prepare an application. You may wish to include the following things in your application:
- A document that includes:
- your name, phone number, fax number (if any), and/or email address
- the ERO number and ministry reference number (located on this page)
- a statement about whether you are a resident in Ontario
- your interest in the decision, and any facts you want taken into account in deciding whether you have an interest in the decision
- the parts of the instrument that you’re challenging
- whether the decision could result in significant harm to the environment
- the reason(s) why you believe that no reasonable person – having regard to the relevant law and to any government policies developed to guide decisions of that kind – could have made the decision
- the grounds (facts) you’ll be using to appeal
- the outcome you’d like to see
- A copy of the instrument (approval, permit, order) that you you are seeking leave to appeal. You’ll find this in the decision notice on the Environmental Registry
- Copies of all supporting documents, facts and evidence that you’ll be using to appeal
What is considered
The appeal body will consider the following two questions in deciding whether to grant you leave to appeal:
- is there is good reason to believe that no reasonable person, with respect to the relevant law and to any government policies developed to guide decisions of that kind, could have made the decision?
- could the decision you wish to appeal result in significant harm to the environment?
2. Provide your notice
You’ll need to provide notice to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks that you’re seeking leave to appeal.
In your notice, please include a brief description of the:
- decision that you wish to appeal
- grounds for granting leave to appeal
You can provide notice by email at minister.mecp@ontario.ca or by mail at:
College Park 5th Floor, 777 Bay St.
Toronto, ON
M7A 2J3
3. Mail your application
You’ll need to mail your application that you prepared in step #1 to each of these three parties:
- appellate body
- issuing authority (the ministry official who issued the instrument)
- proponent (the company or individual to whom the instrument was issued)
Robins Holdings Inc.
520 Holland Street West
Bradford,
ON
L3Z 0Y5
Canada
Registrar, Ontario Land Tribunal
655 Bay Street, Suite 1500
Toronto, Ontario
M5G 1E5
(416) 212-6349
(866) 448-2248
OLT.Registrar@ontario.ca
Include the following:
This is not legal advice. Please refer to the Environmental Bill of Rights for exact legal requirements. Consult a lawyer if you need help with the appeal process.
Connect with us
Contact
Client Services and Permissions Branch
135 St. Clair Avenue West
Floor 1
Toronto,
ON
M4V 1P5
Canada
Original proposal
Proposal details
Note: This notice was updated on May 17, 2021, to correct the location in the map. This notice was updated on May 19, 2021 to correct the Proponent's address.
This proposal is for a renewal of Permit to Take Water No. 2305-6TDH43 for Robins Holdings Inc., for commercial purposes including water bottling and business purposes, in Alnwick/Haldimand, County of Northumberland, Ontario. Details of the water taking are as follows:
Source type: well
- purpose commercial
- maximum rate per minute (litres): 152
- maximum number of hours of taking per day: 24
- maximum volume per day (litres): 218,869
- maximum number of days of taking per year: 365
- earliest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 01/01
- latest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 12/31
- period of taking: 10 years
Source type: well
- purpose: miscellaneous
- maximum rate per minute (litres): 23
- maximum number of hours of taking per day: 24
- maximum volume per day (litres): 32,400
- maximum number of days of taking per year: 365
- earliest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 01/01
- latest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 12/31
- period of taking: 10 years
Source type: well
- purpose: commercial
- maximum rate per minute (litres): 23
- maximum number of hours of taking per day: 24
- maximum volume per day (litres): 32,731
- maximum number of days of taking per year: 365
- earliest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 01/01
- latest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 12/31
- period of taking: 10 years
Supporting materials
View materials in person
Some supporting materials may not be available online. If this is the case, you can request to view the materials in person.
Get in touch with the office listed below to find out if materials are available.
Comment
Commenting is now closed.
This consultation was open from May 12, 2021
to June 11, 2021
Connect with us
Contact
Client Services and Permissions Branch
135 St. Clair Avenue West
Floor 1
Toronto,
ON
M4V 1P5
Canada
Comments received
Through the registry
1By email
0By mail
0