One Guelph-Eramosa councillor raised concerns about policy and payment during a presentation regarding the Guelph/Guelph-Eramosa Water Quantity Policy Development Study.
The report, which was also presented to Puslinch and Erin councils, discussed context and information about the technical studies used to help develop source protection water quantity policies. An update on the policy development process was also provided.
For councillor Corey Woods, his first question on Aug. 13 was about compensation for Wellington County and member municipalities.
The Guelph/Guelph-Eramosa Tier 3 Water Budget and Risk Assessment identified four wellhead protection area quantities within Guelph-Eramosa Township. There are two wells in the north end of the township that are included in the wellhead protection area quantity that was labeled significant risk level and encompasses Guelph and surrounding areas, while the wells around Rockwood are considered low risk.
“Going forward we’re only going to be talking about the larger area (around Guelph) where work needs to be done,” Martin Keller, source protection program manager for the Grand River Conservation Authority, said. “For the smaller areas (in Rockwood) the work has stopped, no additional work is needed.”
The Tier 3 Study shows the Queensdale well and Arkelle well system may not be able to continue pumping in the future. Those wells provide water to the City of Guelph.
Woods asked whether the City of Guelph had agreed to compensate Wellington County and Guelph-Eramosa for the work risk management official Kyle Davis and his team do.
“We all know, you’re funded by Wellington County, we’re all one taxpayer,” Woods said.
“Tax payers of Guelph-Eramosa contribute, taxpayers in Puslinch contribute, we all know this, you’re not doing anything wrong, but this is to protect Guelph wells so how is the discussion going with Guelph and deploying … hundreds of thousands of dollars to go towards your costs. How is that discussion going?”
Davis said the discussions are ongoing.
“At one point it looked like they may have wanted a council to council ask,” Davis said. “It ends up being a staff level discussion, so we’re going to have some of those in September to present a revised business case.”
Mayor Chris White asked whether the province could step in and force Guelph to contribute to the costs that are keeping its drinking water safe and available.
“I think ultimately it’s a discussion between municipalities and … I can’t speak for the province, but I’m not sure the province would get involved in that,” Davis answered.
The report also identified threats to water taking in Guelph-Eramosa, Puslinch and Guelph.
Number one on the list was the impact each of the wells had on themselves. The Queensdale well had a 72% impact on the water system, with the Arkell system at a close second with 53%.
The study indicates that the largest impact from a non-municipal source is the Dolmine Quarry in Guelph (50%), with Gay Lea Foods coming in third at 2% and Nestle Waters fourth at 1%.
Keller identified five risk management measures:
– municipal well optimization;
– increase water conservation and efficiency;
– add new water supplies;
– mitigate the impacts from non-municipal water takings; and
– maintain or enhance recharge areas.
Woods asked what these measures meant for current businesses.
“We all know with policy comes regulation and those regulations are going to be on the backs of farmers and businesses in Guelph-Eramosa and Puslinch and that is obviously a concern,” Woods said.
“But also a concern in there is saying you’re going to potentially take businesses that already have water taking permits, you could … petition the province to revoke those permits.
“You could go to somebody like FloChem and say ‘you’re taking 20,000 litres of water a day,’ or whatever they’re taking, ‘you’re now out of business because you don’t get that water.’”
Davis said revoking the permit to take water would be one of the risk management measures. But it does not have to be implemented by the township.
“The township writes the policies for the county and the township,” Davis said. “(A) permit to take water is a program managed by the province and that is a valid policy option … which is to direct the province to continue to manage it through the permit to take water process and put conditions in those permits.
“Not prohibition but conditions, on those permits that will allow businesses to continue but to be managing, perhaps installing different monitoring data or to manage the resource.”
Mayor Chris White’s concern was whether Guelph-Eramosa residents have a strong enough voice in Tier 3 considerations, calling the discussion around water “Guelph-centric.”
“I’m hoping that at the end of the day, the way this is looking, it doesn’t become ‘make sure Guelph’s got all the water they need to our detriment,’” he said. “I’m hoping there’s no municipal border here and there’s equal care for all water users despite different pressures.
“We’re not going to have the growth pressures the city has but it’s important that we have a big voice and make sure everybody’s treated fairly.”
Davis assured him that the township has a voice in the discussion in himself and director of public works Harry Niemi.
Martin said the team has been working on policy framework and approaches over the summer and their findings will be presented in the fall.
“We will take into consideration those … takings and how to manage them, water conservation, information sharing, collaboration and Tier 3 model management including funding and monitoring.”
