Dear Editor:
Although the provincial government has yet to make an official statement, all indications are that it will end the moratorium on the issuing of new Permits to Take Water (PTTW) by the end of the year.
Many residents of Centre Wellington were hoping the government would again extend the moratorium, at least until the ongoing Tier 3 Water Budget was finally completed and all the evidence studied.
Nestlé Waters Canada is seeking a PTTW for its Middlebrook well, just west of Elora, to extract 1.6 million litres per day, the equivalent amount of water that Elora currently uses daily.
Although the moratorium was province-wide, one of the main reasons it was first initiated was the situation at Middlebrook. Preliminary studies indicate that Centre Wellington is at risk of having insufficient drinking water to meet future needs.
With the conclusion of the moratorium, Nestlé can commence the process of obtaining a PTTW. The government could refuse the application but it could just as well allow it. The track record of this government has been most erratic when it comes to environmental issues.
The Township of Centre Wellington has previously declared it is “not a willing host” to this water taking for bottling. A wide spectrum of residents has voiced its objection to Nestlé’s presence in Centre Wellington.
There are no economic benefits for Centre Wellington as Middlebrook property taxes are minimal. There are no local employment opportunities. There is no reimbursement for the wear and tear on roads and bridges while the water is removed from the aquifer and shipped out of the township by tanker truck.
The nearly five-year fight to stop Nestlé is coming to a head. The decision could go either way but if the ‘green light’ is given to Nestlé, Centre Wellington will be irrevocably changed. Its citizens will feel the effects for many years to come.
Mike Shackleford,
Belwood