Unique Water Incorporated - Permit to take water

Instrument type: Permit to take water

ERO number
019-5096
Ministry reference number
8754-CBNL8N
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
February 25, 2022 - March 27, 2022 (30 days) Closed
Last updated

This consultation was open from:
February 25, 2022
to March 27, 2022

Decision summary

We have issued a new Permit to Take Water No. 8001-CDNQHP, which cancels and replaces Permit to Take Water No. 2118-9V4P2F, for Unique Water Inc. This amendment is to change the owner of the permit from Lawrence Groves to Unique Water Inc. and to consolidate the water taking source as water will be taken from one source for water bottling

Location details

Site address

Lot 16, Concession 7
Quinte West, ON
K0K 3E0
Canada

Site location map

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

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Proponent(s)

Unique Water Incorporated
250 St Clair Avenue West
Suite 203
Toronto, ON
M4V 1R6
Canada

Decision details

We have issued a new Permit to Take Water No. 8001-CDNQHP on June 29, 2022, which cancels and replaces Permit to Take Water No. 2118-9V4P2F, for Unique Water Inc.

This amendment is to:

  • change the owner of the permit from Lawrence Groves to Unique Water Inc.
  • consolidate the water taking source as water will be taken from one source aquifer for water bottling purposes

Details of the water taking are as follows:

Source of water: well (dug)

  • purpose of taking: commercial (bottled water)
  • maximum rate per minute (litres): 307
  • maximum number of hours of taking per day: 24
  • maximum volume per day (litres): 452,313.00
  • maximum number of days of taking per year: 365
  • period of taking: January 1 to December 31 for 10 years

Request a copy of the permit.

Comments received

Through the registry

1

By email

0

By mail

0
View comments submitted through the registry

Effects of consultation

One comment was received via the ERO identifying concerns with the sale/commodification of water by the bottle water industry.

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 Ave West
1st Floor
Toronto, ON
M4V 1P5
Canada

Office phone number

How to Appeal

This instrument decision can be appealed. You have 15 days from July 5, 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)

Unique Water Incorporated
250 St Clair Avenue West
Suite 203
Toronto, ON
M4V 1R6
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
019-5096
Ministry reference number
8754-CBNL8N

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
019-5096
Ministry reference number
8754-CBNL8N
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

February 25, 2022 - March 27, 2022 (30 days)

Proposal details

This proposal is for an Amendment to Permit To Take Water No. 2118-9V4P2F for Unique Water Inc. This amendment is to change the owner of the permit from Lawrence Groves to Unique Water Inc and to consolidate the water taking source as water will be taken from one source aquifier for water bottling purposes. Details of the water taking are as follows:

Source of water: well (dug)

  • purpose of taking: commercial (bottled water)
  • maximum rate per minute (litres): 307
  • maximum number of hours of taking per day: 24
  • maximum volume per day (litres): 452,313.00
  • maximum number of days of taking per year: 365
  • period of taking: 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 February 25, 2022
to March 27, 2022

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