Local residents have launched a petition to the Ontario Legislature requesting a freeze on water permits for commercial sale of water, subject to a review of existing legislation. "Groundwater is not simply an economic resource, it's a community resource which should be conserved," stated Keith Ritchie, P.Eng., chair of the Coalition's Water Committee. "Groundwater should not be shipped out of the community without a complete understanding of the long-term ecological impacts. Province-wide legislation is needed to ensure wise use and sustainability of this natural resource." Led by a Water Committee formed under the auspices of the Centre Wellington Citizens" Coalition, residents are being urged to support this effort to close a gap between current provincial and municipal legislation and responsibilities. A local study of water resources has not yet been evaluated in depth.
The Centre Wellington Groundwater Management Study, funded by the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) and supervised by a local Executive Steering Committee, has recently been submitted to the MOE and the Township of Centre Wellington Council. The study took more than two years to complete and is based on water data from within the Township and from surrounding areas. It includes information obtained from more than 2400 well logs, previous studies by various authorities, and computer simulations of groundwater flow throughout the Township.
As a follow-up to the Ground Water Management Study, concerned citizens formed a Water Committee under the auspices of the Coalition to deal with water issues in the Township. Keith Ritchie represented Township residents at large as a member of the Executive Steering Committee which developed the Groundwater Study. The Coalition liaison to the Water Committee is Dr. Peter Peloso. Peloso, recently appointed to the Coalition's Board of Directors, confirmed that "focus on this issue has been prompted by an application for a Permit To Take Water from a private well in the Township for bottling purposes, and a very large volume of water, more than 1,000,000 litres per day, is involved."
"Data from the Groundwater Study now require intensive analysis," stated Ritchie. "Much is yet to be done to co-ordinate implementation of the study objectives. Permits, or PTTWs as they are known, are issued by the MOE, and there is a large gap between the provincial legislation governing permit issuance, and municipal legislation correlating protection of local residents' interests with commercial interests."
A petition to the Legislature of Ontario requesting a review of this gap in criteria governing PTTWs is in process at this time. The petition, for submission by February 28, 2003, urges closer scrutiny of all aspects of permit approvals, both locally, and provincially.
Urban areas of Centre Wellington Township have had by-laws governing residents' use of water on their property for several years. "When a community lives under water restriction by-laws year-round," stated Peloso, "we feel that a freeze on all PTTW approvals is warranted to allow review and strengthening of existing provincial legislation, the Municipal Plan, municipal by-laws covering lawn watering, car washing, etc., and MOE rules for evaluating the local impact of pumping large volumes of water. Review of recommendations from the Walkerton Inquiry, and Water Bottling Standards in general is also required."
The Centre Wellington Citizens' Coalition's mandate is to work with community groups, including the business community, elected officials, and municipal staff, to initiate and encourage collaboration, creativity, and thoughtful long-range planning for economic, social, and cultural development. The Coalition supports the maintenance and enhancement of our natural environment through responsible and sustainable development.
Citizens will have an opportunity to support the petition by signing when a canvasser calls, by signing copies in local shops, or by contacting the Water Committee (as below). Any resident of the province may join in this petition by contacting:
For further information contact:
Keith Ritchie at (519) 846-0406
Peter Peloso at (519) 846-9631