Gott Enterprises Inc. - Permit to take water

Instrument type: Permit to take water

ERO number
019-4604
Ministry reference number
7478-C7XH8D
Notice type
Instrument
Act
Ontario Water Resources Act, R.S.O. 1990
Posted by
Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
Notice stage
Decision
Decision posted
Comment period
November 10, 2021 - December 10, 2021 (30 days) Closed
Last updated

This consultation was open from:
November 10, 2021
to December 10, 2021

Decision summary

This decision is for the renewal of Permit to Take Water No. 8035-8U5P7F for Gott Enterprises Inc. and is for water bottling purposes. The new permit No. 3568-CJGH8C was issued on Friday, September 30, 2022 with an expiry date of September 30, 2032.

Location details

Site address

Lot 20, Concession 13
Grey Highlands, ON
Canada

Site location map

The location pin reflects the approximate area where environmental activity is taking place.

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Proponent(s)

Gott Enterprises Inc.
485387 30 Sideroad
Shelburne, ON
L9V 3N5
Canada

Decision details

After a thorough scientific and technical review, the director has renewed Gott Enterprises Inc. Grey Highlands 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 20, Concession 13, Grey Highlands, Ontario.

The Permit to Take Water (PTTW) contains strict conditions and safeguards to protect existing water users and the natural environment, including:

  • continuous groundwater level monitoring in observation and pumping wells
  • continuous surface water level monitoring in the Beaver River
  • preparation of annual monitoring reports to review monitoring data and assess for potential impacts

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: Borehole 1 (well)

Purpose of taking: commercial bottled water

  • maximum rate per minute (litres): 909
  • maximum number of hours of taking a day: 24
  • maximum volume per day (litres): 1,308,960
  • maximum number of days of taking in a year: 365
  • length of taking: from January 1 to December 31, for 10 years

Source of water: Borehole 2 (well)

Purpose of taking: commercial bottled water

  • maximum rate per minute (litres): 682
  • maximum number of hours of taking a day: 24
  • maximum volume per day (litres): 982,080
  • maximum number of days of taking in a year: 365
  • length of taking: from January 1 to December 31, for 10 years

Source of water: Borehole 3 (well)

Purpose of taking: commercial bottled water

  • maximum rate per minute (litres): 682
  • maximum number of hours of taking a day: 24
  • maximum volume per day (litres): 982,080
  • maximum number of days of taking in a year: 365
  • length of taking: from January 1 to December 31, for 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.

Request a copy of the permit.

Comments received

Through the registry

0

By email

0

By mail

0
View comments submitted through the registry

Effects of consultation

No comments were received regarding this proposal  

The following municipalities / conservation authorities were notified by email:

  • Municipality of Grey Highlands
  • Grey Sauble Conservation Authority
  • Grey County

Grey County submitted an inquiry regarding the type of study submitted in support of this application for renewal, the Ministry responded to the County and no further specific comments or concerns were submitted.

No comments or replies were received from the Municipality of Grey Highlands or Grey Sauble Conservation Authority.

Notification to Indigenous Communities

The following Indigenous communities were notified and provided details of the proposed permit renewal:

  • Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation
  • Chippewas of Rama First Nation (Mnjikaning)
  • Beausoleil First Nation
  • Curve Lake First Nation
  • Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation
  • Alderville First Nation
  • Métis Nation of Ontario
  • Saugeen Ojibway Nation (Saugeen First Nation and the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation)

On December 17, 2021, representatives of Saugeen Ojibway Nation contacted the ministry by email, confirming their interest in consulting on this proposed water taking. On January 20, 2022, the proponent and their consultant (Wilson and Associates) held a meeting with representatives of Saugeen Ojibway Nation and the Ministry to provide general information regarding the site history, the water taking and monitoring data. Following the meeting, Saugeen Ojibway Nation conducted a review of technical documents prepared in support of this water taking. In a letter dated September 19, 2022, the results of this review indicated that the community was satisfied that the project was likely to have minimal impact and that the community had not further comments or objection with the permit application.

On February 3, 2022, Hiawatha First Nation replied to the ministry notification expressing overall concern with the water bottling industry, however, no specific questions or concerns relating to this proposal were identified.

No comments or replies were received from other communities notified of this proposal

Summary

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:

  1. 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.
  2. Giving host municipalities more direct input on allowing bottled water companies to withdraw new or increased amounts of groundwater in their communities.
  3. Charging a water bottling fee for water bottling companies that take groundwater, effective August 1, 2017
  4. 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.
  5. 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.

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.

Client Services and Permissions Branch
Address

135 St. Clair Avenue West
Floor 1
Toronto, ON
M4V 1P5
Canada

Office phone number

How to Appeal

This instrument decision can be appealed. You have 15 days from October 4, 2022 to begin the appeal process.

Carefully review the information below to learn more about the appeal process.

How to appealClick to Expand Accordion

For instrument decisions published on or after June 1, 2021, please refer to the updated instructions for information on how to appeal a decision.

Appeal process for decisions published before June 1, 2021

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:

  1. prepare your application
  2. provide notice to the minister
  3. 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:

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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:

  1. 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?
  2. 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)

Issuing authority
Gregory Meek
Supervisor, PTTW

Permit to Take Water Unit
135 St Clair Ave W
Toronto, ON
M4V 1P5
Canada

289-830-5867

Proponent(s)

Gott Enterprises Inc.
485387 30 Sideroad
Shelburne, ON
L9V 3N5
Canada


Appellate body

Environmental Review Tribunal
Attention: The Secretary
655 Bay Street
Floor 15
Toronto, Ontario
M5G 1E5
(416) 212-6349
(866) 448-2248
OLT.Registrar@ontario.ca

About the Environmental Review Tribunal


Include the following:

ERO number
019-4604
Ministry reference number
7478-C7XH8D

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.

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Original proposal

ERO number
019-4604
Ministry reference number
7478-C7XH8D
Notice type
Instrument
Act
Ontario Water Resources Act, R.S.O. 1990
Posted by
Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
Proposal posted

Comment period

November 10, 2021 - December 10, 2021 (30 days)

Proposal details

This application is for a renewal of Permit to Take Water No. 8035-8U5P7F for Gott Enterprises Inc. Water will be taken from three wells for commercial purposes located in the Grey Highlands, County of Grey, Ontario. Details of water taking are as follows:

Source name: Borehole 1 (well)

  • maximum rate per minute (litres): 909
  • maximum number of hours of taking a day: 24
  • maximum volume per day (litres): 1,308,960
  • maximum number of days of taking in a year: 365
  • length of taking: from January 1 to December 31, for 10 years

Source name: Borehole 2 (well)

  • maximum rate per minute (litres): 682
  • maximum number of hours of taking a day: 24
  • maximum volume per day (litres): 982,080
  • maximum number of days of taking in a year: 365
  • length of taking: from January 1 to December 31, for 10 years

Source name: Borehole 3 (well)

  • maximum rate per minute (litres): 682
  • maximum number of hours of taking a day: 24
  • maximum volume per day (litres): 982,080
  • maximum number of days of taking in a year: 365
  • length of taking: from January 1 to December 31, for 10 years

More about Permits to Take Water

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 November 10, 2021
to December 10, 2021

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